Good news for Buccaneer basketball fans — on Tuesday, the Southern Conference unveiled the 2020-2021 conference schedules for ETSU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams. 

According to the SoCon’s scheduling announcement, all 10 of the men’s SoCon teams are set to begin conference play Dec. 30. 

On that day, the men’s team will kick off their SoCon title defense with a home game against Western Carolina. Each men’s team is expected to play two games per week. 

In addition to the release of the SoCon schedule, ETSU men’s basketball head coach Jason Shay announced on Thursday in his weekly Zoom call with various media outlets that the Bucs will open their season outside of the SoCon. They will begin their title defense in the three-day Gulf Coast Showcase in Fort Meyers, Florida.

The other participating teams in the Gulf Coast Showcase have not yet been announced.

The men’s regular season is scheduled to conclude on Feb. 27, and the SoCon Basketball Championship will once again take place at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, North Carolina, from March 5 through March 8. 

“It was a big relief,” Shay said of the scheduling announcement. “We finally got some direction, got some clarity and understanding of when we’re going to play.”

Additionally, the women’s conference basketball schedule was also released Tuesday.

The women’s squad will play a 14-game, in-conference schedule over the span of eight weeks, beginning with a road game against conference rival Chattanooga on Jan. 9. 

The women’s first home conference game will take place at Brooks Gym against Mercer on Jan. 14. The women’s SoCon Tournament will begin play on March 4 and continue through March 7, also at Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville.

Due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 virus, competing schools have been handed the ability to adjust game dates as necessary, pending combined approvals from both school’s directors of athletics as well as the SoCon office. 

“We’ve got maximum flexibility to move games in case somebody has to cancel,” Shay confirmed.

For more information, visit etsubucs.com.