Men's Basketball Releases Non-Conference Schedule

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The UNI men's basketball team has added seven non-conference games to its 2018-19 schedule. The additional home games were released today.

The Panthers will host a pair of exhibition games to start the season, hosting the Knights of Wartburg College 1 p.m. Oct. 28 and then the Peacocks of Upper Iowa University 7 p.m. Nov. 1.

The team will open up the regular season by playing a midweek game on Nov. 6 when Bemidji State comes to the McLeod Center for a 7 p.m. matchup. The Panthers will hit the road for the first time on Nov. 10, traveling to Arlington, Texas to take on the University of Texas Arlington at 7 p.m.

The Panthers will get to enjoy a three-game slate at the 2018 Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Once back the team will travel to Norfolk, Virginia, to take on Old Dominion Nov. 23.

The road games continue with a matchup in Logan, Utah, with Utah State on Nov 28. The Panthers will then head to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to play South Dakota State in the US Bank Stadium Basketball Classic Dec. 1.

The University of Dubuque will come to Cedar Falls Dec.8 before the Panthers travel to Des Moines for the Hy-Vee Big Four Classic and face off against the Hawkeyes from the University of Iowa on Dec. 15.

Grand Canyon University will make the trip to the McLeod Center Dec.19. The Panthers will play host to the Fighting Hawks of University of North Dakota Dec. 22 and wrap up the non-conference schedule with a 7 p.m. game against Stony Brook on Dec. 29.

The Panthers open conference play Jan. 2 when they travel to Peoria, Illinois, to take on Bradley.

The UNI ticket office have three special ticket packages available for UNI men's basketball games going on sale on Oct. 3.

The ticket office will offer a $100 – five-game mini pack. The mini pack allows fans to pick any five home games in the Tier 3 seating.

This season, UNI will offer a $150 - Online Flex Pass presented by Carlos O'Kelly's & Applebee's. The $150 option includes 10 tickets in Tier 3 seating and comes with one $10 gift card to Carlos O'Kelly's or Applebee's. This option is available online only.

The Panthers also will offer a $175 Mobile Pass, this option is for all men's basketball home games and will be sent via mobile delivery 24 prior to game time. This option will apply only to Tier 3 seating and is only available online.

Single game tickets will go on sale 10 a.m. Oct. 17. Purchase tickets in person at any UNItix location from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or purchase tickets online at www.UNIPanthers.com/tickets. Call the ticket office at (319) 273-4849. Processing fees apply online or over the phone.

Complete schedule (CT):

Oct. 28 Wartburg College, 1 p.m.
Nov. 1 Upper Iowa University, 7 p.m.
Nov. 6 Bemidji State University, 7 p.m.
Nov. 10 at University of Texas at Arlington, 7 p.m.
Nov. 16-18 at Paradise Jam / open with University of Pennsylvania, 5:30 p.m.
Nov. 23 at Old Dominion University, TBD
Nov. 28 at Utah State University, 7 p.m.
Dec. 1 vs. South Dakota State at US Bank Basketball Classic
Dec. 8 University of Dubuque, 1 p.m.
Dec. 15 vs. University of Iowa at Hy-Vee Classic
Dec. 19 Grand Canyon University, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 22 North Dakota, 1 p.m.
Dec. 29 Stony Brook, 7 p.m.
Jan. 2 at Bradley University, TBD
Jan. 5 Southern Illinois University, 7 p.m.
Jan. 9 at Illinois State University, TBD
Jan. 13 Drake University, 3 p.m.
Jan. 16 Indiana State University, 7 p.m.
Jan. 19 at Valparaiso University, TBD
Jan. 23 at Southern Illinois University, 7 p.m.
Jan. 26 Evansville, 7 p.m.
Jan. 30 at Loyola University, TBD
Feb. 2 Missouri State, 7 p.m.
Feb. 6 Bradley University, 7 p.m.
Feb. 9 at Drake, TBD
Feb. 13 Illinois State, 7 p.m.
Feb. 17 at Evansville, TBA
Feb. 20 at Missouri State, 7 p.m.
Feb. 23 Valparaiso, 7 p.m.
Feb. 27 Loyola, 7 p.m.
March 2 at Indiana State, TBD
Home games in bold

Missouri Valley Conference Men's Basketball on ESPN

Celebrating its 112th season, the Missouri Valley Conference will have an exclusive 100-event package on ESPN networks during the 2018-19 academic year, Commissioner Doug Elgin announced today.

The Valley, which enters the fifth year of a 10-year agreement with ESPN, will clear 37 men's basketball matchups on ESPN networks -- ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, SEC Network and ESPN3, as well as ESPN , the first-ever multi-sport, direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service from The Walt Disney Company's Direct-to-Consumer and International group, in partnership with ESPN.

Another 63 MVC events -- regular-season baseball and women's basketball plus postseason championships for cross country, women's and men's soccer, volleyball, indoor and outdoor track and field, women's basketball, softball and baseball -- are featured in the package.

An additional 650 live events produced by Conference institutions will be delivered exclusively by The Valley on ESPN -- the league's co-branded digital network with ESPN available through the ESPN App. The Valley on ESPN features productions for ESPN3 and ESPN .

"Our relationship with ESPN is pivotal to our continued success as an athletic league," Elgin said.
"The ever-increasing exposure from the numerous live event and original content opportunities we have on the network's linear and digital platforms has provided a boost to the teams and student-athletes in every one of our athletic programs."

Games aired on an ESPN network will also be available through the ESPN App, accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices to fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider.

The ESPN men's basketball package features Southern Illinois opening the season at Kentucky on Nov. 9 in a SEC Network contest.
Indiana State travels to Fort Worth, Texas, for a game at TCU on Sunday, Dec. 16, for a 4 p.m. Central telecast on ESPNU.

Non-conference games from the Mountain West-Missouri Valley Challenge will also be shown, featuring 2018 NCAA Final Four participant Loyola playing host to 2018 NCAA Sweet Sixteen qualifier Nevada on Tuesday, Nov. 27, at 7 p.m. Central on ESPNEWS.

On Saturday, Dec. 1, a day-night twinbill occurs on The Valley on ESPN, as Illinois State entertains San Diego State at 2 p.m. Central while Bradley plays host to New Mexico at 7 p.m. Central.

After splitting the series (5-5) in 2017, this will be the final year of a four-year agreement between the Mountain West Conference and The Valley.
Two MVC schools will compete in ESPN Events' early-season basketball tournaments -- Valparaiso in the Myrtle Beach Invitational and Indiana State in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. Each school will participate in three games with every contest being delivered on an ESPN2, ESPNU or ESPN3.
Missouri State will compete in the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, Missouri, with both its game being shown on either ESPN2 or ESPNU.

In terms of regular-season men's basketball games, the league has three tilts on ESPN2 -- Illinois State at Loyola (Jan. 12), Loyola at Illinois State (Feb. 2) and Bradley at Illinois State (Feb. 16).

The final MVC exposure on Saturday, March 2, will use the Wildcard selection process (picking one of five games) to determine which match-up is shown.
The Valley's regular-season men's basketball package on ESPNU will feature one Saturday and five Sundays. For three of the Sundays, ESPN will utilize the netflex selection process (one game appearing on ESPN3 and the other on ESPNU), while two others, ESPN will use the Wildcard process to select from two games.

"The Wildcard selection process provides time to evaluate in-season results prior to choosing the best Valley game possible on that date," said Jack R. Watkins, Associate Commissioner. "Working in conjunction with our staff, ESPN has successfully utilized this method to showcase MVC teams competing at a maximum level."

The remaining two ESPNU telecasts will be Valley regular-season baseball contests which have yet to be determined. With host institutions providing the production and transmission, the league has also selected men's and women's basketball packages for distribution on The Valley on ESPN -- accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and streaming devices through the ESPN App.

The MVC men's basketball package starts on Wednesday, Jan. 2, with Bradley playing host to Northern Iowa.

The opening round on March 7 and all four quarterfinal games on March 8 from the 2019 State Farm MVC Men's Basketball Tournament in St. Louis will also be shown on The Valley on ESPN outside the states of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.

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