MAAC Announces 2015-16 Men's Basketball Schedule
MAAC Sports
EDISON, NJ – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) has released the men’s basketball league schedule for the 2015-16 season, announced today by the conference.
With 11 MAAC teams, each team will continue to play 20 league games, facing each team twice in the double round-robin format (“home-and-home”).
Matchups that highlight the 2015-16 season include:
· The first league game of the season featuring Fairfield University at defending regular season champion, Iona College on Tuesday, Dec. 1 at the Hynes Athletic Center in New Rochelle, New York.
· The “hOUR-glass” rivalry between the New Jersey schools of Monmouth University, Rider University, and Saint Peter’s University will kick off one day later on Wednesday, Dec 2, with Rider hosting Saint Peter’s at Alumni Gymnasium in Lawrenceville. The rivalry will continue when Saint Peter’s host Rider at the Yanitelli Center on Thursday, Jan. 28, followed by Monmouth welcoming Saint Peter’s to The MAC on Saturday, Jan. 30. On Friday, Feb. 12, Rider will host Monmouth in the first matchup between the rivals. The regular season matchups between the schools will conclude on Sunday, Feb. 21 when Saint Peter’s host Monmouth and Friday, Feb. 26 with Monmouth playing host to Rider.
· The first instalment of the “Battle of the Bridge” rivalry between Canisius College and Niagara University will take place on Friday, Jan. 22, when the two Western New York schools meet on Frank and Barbara Layden Court at the Gallagher Center on the campus of Niagara University. The two schools will meet again on Thursday, Feb. 25 at Koessler Athletic Center.
· In-state Connecticut rivals, Fairfield University and Quinnipiac University meet for the first time in 2016 on Monday, Feb. 1, at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport and matchup again on Saturday, Feb. 13, at the TD Bank Sports Center on the Campus of Quinnipiac in Hamden.
· New York City rivals Iona College and Manhattan College will continue its rivalry on Friday, Jan. 29 in New Rochelle at Iona. The two-time defending MAAC champions Manhattan, will get to welcome Iona to the newly renovated Draddy Gymnasium on Friday, Feb 26, during the final weekend of the regular season. The Gaels and the Jaspers have met in three consecutive MAAC Championship title games, becoming just the second duo to accomplish this since Iona and original MAAC member Fordham met in three title games from 1983 to 1985.
· Rivals, Marist College and Siena College, will battle it out at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York on Saturday, Jan. 30 and will meet again on Sunday, Feb. 7, at McCann Arena in Poughkeepsie, New York.
The full 2015-16 MAAC television broadcast schedule will be announced on a later date.
The MAAC season concludes with the 2016 MAAC Basketball Championships, March 3-7, at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York. The 2016 MAAC Championship title game will take place on Monday, March 7 at 7:00 p.m. and will air live on ESPN with the winner earning the leagues automatic bid to the NCAA Championship.