Tiffin University has announced its 2019-20 men's basketball schedule.
The schedule features an opening exhibition at Bowling Green State University and hosting the GMAC-GLVC Crossover Challenge, along with a competitive slate of Great Midwest Athletic Conference games.
TU opens with a 7 pm exhibition at Bowling Green on Nov. 5 in what will also be the season opener for the Falcons. The Dragons will then return home on Nov. 9-10 to host the GMAC-GLVC Crossover Challenge. TU will take on Missouri-St. Louis on Nov. 9and Maryville on Nov. 10, with Walsh University also competing and representing the GMAC. The 1988-89 TU basketball team will also celebrate their 30th anniversary during the Crossover. The Dragons will stay at home on Nov. 14 to play Wright State-Lake University before heading to Salem International on Nov. 16.
TU continues a busy November with a home game against Fanshawe College from Canada on Nov. 20 before heading to Kentucky for three games. They will take on Kentucky State on Nov. 22 and then compete in the Kentucky Wesleyan Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 29-30. TU will tangle with Auburn University at Montgomery on Nov. 29 and Wheeling Jesuit on Nov. 30.
Heading to December, TU begins GMAC play. They travel to Trevecca Nazarene on Dec. 5 and then head up to Kentucky Wesleyan on Nov. 7 before returning home on Nov. 14 to face Walsh and Nov. 16 against Malone in their GMAC home openers. TU closes out 2019 with a trip to Urbana on Dec. 20 and then a big faceoff against NCAA 2018 Final Four Southern Indiana on Dec. 22 in Evansville, Ind.
TU opens 2020 at Ohio Valley on Jan. 4 before returning on Jan. 9 to face Hillsdale at home. They stay at home to face Findlay on Jan. 11 and then take to the road to take on Cedarville (Jan. 16) and Lake Erie (Jan. 18). Returning home on Jan. 23, TU will host Alderson Broaddus followed by Ohio Dominican on Jan. 25 on Alumni Day. TU then travels to Alderson Broaddus on Jan. 30 to end the month.
The Dragons swing over to Ohio Dominican on Feb. 1 to start February and then return home on Feb. 8 to face Lake Erie. TU travels 27 miles west to face Findlay on Feb. 15, then hosts Ohio Valley on Feb. 20. TU's final road contest takes them to Hillsdale on Feb. 22 before coming home for Senior Night on Feb. 29 against Kentucky Wesleyan.
"I'm really excited about our schedule this season and how it will prepare us for GMAC play," said Head Coach Tom Church. "We have many new faces on our team and it's going to be important for our guys to gel this preseason and learn our system because of how we will be tested early on. Obviously the Bowling Green Exhibition will be a great environment and learning experience for our guys but it will help prepare us for the GMAC-GLVC Crossover. The other non-conference game that stands out will be against last year's NCAA Final Four team Southern Indiana in their new arena. That will be a massive test for our team before we head home for holiday break. The GMAC will be as tough as ever and I'm looking forward to our team improving and taking another step forward in conference play."