Butler releases basketball schedule
From Butler Athletics
INDIANAPOLIS — Butler’s first season in the BIG EAST will present a new set of challenges, a number of new opponents and unprecedented exposure. The Bulldogs’ 2013-14 men’s basketball schedule includes 28 national and regional telecasts, including 21 games on a Fox Sports network.
After competing one season in the Atlantic 10 Conference and two years removed from the Horizon League, Butler is heading into its initial campaign in the 10-team BIG EAST. The new basketball-centered league boasts seven teams that competed in post-season tournament play a year ago.
Butler is certain to meet nine teams from last year’s basketball post-season tournament play in 2013-14, and seven of those post-season squads will visit Hinkle Fieldhouse. That group includes BIG EAST foes Georgetown (Jan. 11), Marquette (Feb. 18), Creighton (Feb. 13) and Villanova (Dec. 31) from the NCAA Tournament, and Providence (Feb. 23) and St. John’s (Jan. 25) from the NIT.
Also visiting Hinkle Fieldhouse will be first-time non-conference foe North Dakota (Dec. 7), coming off an appearance in the College Invitational Tournament.
Other tournament teams on Butler’s schedule are Purdue, coming off an appearance in the CBI, in the Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis on Dec. 14, and Evansville, a CIT participant, on the road (Dec. 21). Butler could face additional post-season teams at the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla., Nov. 28-Dec. 1. The Bulldogs’ first opponent in the eight-team tournament will be Washington State.
“Looking at our schedule, obviously there are many challenges ahead of us,” said Butler head coach Brandon Miller. “We’ve always tried to put together a schedule that fits our current team, and I think that’s what this year’s schedule does.
“We’ll be tested in the non-conference and we’ll certainly face a whole new set of challenges in the BIG EAST,” added the Butler coach.
Butler will begin its non-conference home schedule against first-time foe Lamar on Nov. 9. Other non-conference home games include a visit from Ivy League opponent Princeton on Nov. 16, a game against SEC foe Vanderbilt on Nov. 19, the North Dakota contest, and games against Manchester (Dec. 9) and New Jersey Institute of Technology (Dec. 28).
The Bulldogs’ first 2013-14 road game will be a non-conference contest at Ball State (Nov. 23).
BIG EAST play begins on Dec. 31 with a full day of conference games on Fox Sports 1, starting with St. John’s at Xavier at noon. The Bulldogs will host Villanova at 7:30 p.m. (ET) in the fourth game of the five-game basketball extravaganza.
“What a great day for the BIG EAST,” stated Miller. “To have a full day of BIG EAST basketball on national television is a great way to start the conference schedule. It’s a great day for BIG EAST fans and a great day for basketball fans.”
The Bulldogs will face each BIG EAST opponent twice during the regular season, which ends with a home game against Seton Hall on Mar. 8. The BIG EAST Tournament will be held Mar. 12-15, at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Butler will have 15 games televised on Fox Sports 1, three games on Fox Sports 2 and three games on Fox Sports Networks. Additionally, the Bulldogs will have one game on CBS, two games on CBS Sports Network, three games on the ESPN family of networks and one game on the Big Ten Network in 2013-14. The entire BIG EAST Tournament will be televised on Fox Sports 1.
2013-14 Butler Men’s Basketball Schedule
Oct. 29 – Nova Southeastern, 7 p.m.
Nov. 2 – DePauw (Exhibition), 2 p.m.; Nov. 9 – Lamar, 8 p.m.; Nov. 16 – Princeton, 8 p.m.; Nov. 19 – Vanderbilt, 6 p.m.; Nov. 23 – at Ball State, 2 p.m.; Nov. 28 – Washington State @ Old Spice Classic, 2 p.m.; Nov. 29 – at Old Spice Classic
Dec. 1 – at Old Spice Classic; Dec. 7 – North Dakota, 6 p.m.; Dec. 9 – Manchester, 8 p.m.; Dec. 14 – Purdue @ Crossroads Classic, 6 p.m.; Dec. 21 – at Evansville; Dec. 28 – NJIT, 1 p.m.; Dec. 31 – Villanova, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 4 – at Xavier, 2 p.m.; Jan. 9 – DePaul, 7 p.m.; Jan. 11 – Georgetown, 7 p.m.; Jan. 14 – at Creighton, 9 p.m.; Jan. 18 – Marquette, 2 p.m.; Jan. 21 – at Providence, 9 p.m.; Jan. 25 – St. John’s, 4 p.m.; Jan. 29 – at Seton Hall, 9 p.m.
Feb. 4 – at Marquette, 9 p.m.; Feb. 8 – at Georgetown, 1 p.m.; Feb. 11 – Xavier, 9 p.m.; Feb. 13 – Creighton, 7 p.m.; Feb. 18 – at St. John’s, 9 p.m.; Feb. 23 – Providence, 6 p.m.; Feb. 26 – at Villanova, 8 p.m.
Mar. 6 – at DePaul, 7 p.m.; Mar. 8 – Seton Hall, 4:30 p.m.; Mar. 12-15 – BIG EAST Tournament.
All times Eastern.
