Lincoln – A matchup with defending Big East champion Villanova, two games at the Barclays Center Classic and home tilts against Miami and Rhode Island highlight Nebraska’s non-conference schedule announced Monday.
“I look forward to the season and think our schedule will again be one that will be great for our players and fans alike,” Nebraska men’s basketball coach Tim Miles said. “We will be greatly challenged at home and on the road. Our team is young, but this type of schedule will test us and prepare the Huskers for the rigors of the Big Ten Conference!”
In all, the Huskers will play 19 home games (18 regular-season games plus one exhibition) at Pinnacle Bank Arena in 2015-16, after playing 17 games (16 regular season plus one exhibition) at the downtown arena during each of the past two seasons.
Season-ticket prices for the 2015-16 season start at just $114, which averages to $6 per ticket for seats in the 300 Level. Tickets in the 200 Level are priced at $228 ($12 per game), while 100 Level seats at priced at $361 ($19 per game). All three price points already include the $1 per game Pinnacle Bank Arena facility fee. Last year, the Huskers ranked 10th nationally in average attendance, averaging a school-record 15,569 fans per home game. Fans who are interested in signing up for season tickets can put their name on the ticket request list by going to huskers.com/tickets.
In addition to the non-conference matchups, the Huskers will play host to Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Northwestern, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Rutgers during Big Ten season. Start times and television for non-conference and Big Ten games will be announced at a later date.
Nebraska will open its 120th season of basketball on Saturday, Nov. 14, against Mississippi Valley State, as both the Husker men and women will open the 2015-16 season at Pinnacle Bank Arena on that date. The Huskers will than travel to Philadelphia on Nov. 17 for a Gavitt Tipoff Games contest against a Villanova team that went 33-3 and was a No. 1 seed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
The Huskers will return for a three-game homestand, including the first two games of the Barclays event. NU will spend Thanksgiving weekend in Brooklyn, where the Huskers could potentially face a Cincinnati team that won 23 games and reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament, a George Washington team that went 22-13 and reached the second round of the NIT and a Tennessee team that is now guided by former Texas coach Rick Barnes. Pairings for the Barclays Center Classic will be announced later this summer.
December begins a stretch where the Huskers will face a pair of power conference teams, as well as a Rhode Island team that comes off a postseason bid a year ago. Nebraska opens the month by hosting Miami in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Dec. 1. The Hurricanes won 25 games last year and return their top four scorers from last year’s NIT runner-up squad.
After hosting Abeline Christian, the Huskers will make the short trip up I-80 on Wednesday, Dec. 9, as they take on Creighton in Omaha in the renewal of the annual matchup. That is one of two big tests that week, as the Huskers will take on Rhode Island on Sunday, Dec. 13. The Rams, who beat the Huskers in overtime last year in Kingston R.I., went 23-10 and reached the NIT before falling to eventual champion Stanford. URI returns four starters, including its top three scorers, and will be among the favorites in the Atlantic 10 in 2015-16.
The Huskers will wrap up non-conference action with a pair of games against Samford (Dec. 20) and Prairie View A&M (Dec. 22) before the 18-game Big Ten schedule commences after Christmas.
The Huskers return two starters in 2015-16, including senior forward Shavon Shields, who leads NU’s returnees in scoring (15.4 ppg), rebounding (6.0 rpg) and assists (2.2 apg). The Huskers also welcome a nationally ranked recruiting class, which includes freshmen Ed Morrow Jr. and Glynn Watson Jr., both of whom are ranked in the top-75 nationally by ESPN.com. The Huskers also gain the services of guard Andrew White III, who sat out last season after transferring from Kansas.
2015-16 Nebraska Non-Conference Schedule
|
TBA |
Exhibition Game |
Pinnacle Bank Arena |
|
Saturday, Nov. 14 |
Mississippi Valley State |
Pinnacle Bank Arena |
|
Tuesday, Nov. 17 |
at Villanova (Gavitt Tipoff Games) |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
|
Thursday, Nov. 19 |
Delaware State |
Pinnacle Bank Arena |
|
Sunday, Nov. 22 |
Southeastern Louisiana (Barclays Center Classic) |
Pinnacle Bank Arena |
|
Tuesday, Nov. 24 |
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Barclays Center Classic) |
Pinnacle Bank Arena |
|
Friday, Nov. 27 |
vs. TBA (Barclays Center Classic) |
Brooklyn, N.Y. |
|
Saturday, Nov. 28 |
vs. TBA (Barclays Center Classic) |
Brooklyn, N.Y. |
|
Tuesday, Dec. 1 |
vs. Miami (Big Ten/ACC Challenge) |
Pinnacle Bank Arena |
|
Saturday, Dec. 5 |
Abilene Christian |
Pinnacle Bank Arena |
|
Wednesday, Dec. 9 |
at Creighton |
Omaha, Neb. |
|
Sunday, Dec. 13 |
Rhode Island |
Pinnacle Bank Arena |
|
Sunday, Dec. 20 |
Samford |
Pinnacle Bank Arena |
|
Tuesday, Dec. 22 |
Prairie View A&M |
Pinnacle Bank Arena |