Central Michigan University Athletics
MAC Releases 2012-13 Conference Schedule
8/29/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
MOUNT PLEASANT - The Mid-American Conference has released its league basketball schedules, with the Central Michigan men's basketball program opening Jan. 9 inside McGuirk Arena versus Bowling Green and the women's program at Toledo on Jan. 10.
The schedule features two home doubleheaders for Chippewas' fans, including a men's contest versus Ball State and women's contest versus Northern Illinois January 19. The other doubleheader will feature the men versus Western Michigan and women versus Akron January 26.
"The opportunity to play four of our home MAC games on Saturdays should help us create a great atmosphere in McGuirk Arena this season," said first-year head coach Keno Davis.
"We're excited for what league play will bring us and our fans," women's head coach Sue Guevara said. "We have a short trip to Toledo for a hostile environment matchup in Savage Arena to kick things off and then get to play in front of our home crowd for three-straight games. The ultimate goal is to win a MAC championship and we're prepared to do that."
Season tickets will go on sale next week and for the first time will include a combined season ticket good for every men's home game and every women's home game.
Women's Schedule
The women's basketball program will look to take the experience it garners from its tough non-conference schedule into its conference opener Thursday, Jan. 10 when it travels to take on perennial MAC West contender Toledo. The Chippewas will play six NCAA Tournament teams, with potential for a seventh at a holiday tournament, prior to MAC play.
Following the matchup with the Rockets, CMU will return home for three-straight games versus 2012 MAC regular season and tournament Champion Eastern Michigan (Jan. 13), rival Western Michigan (Jan. 16) and Northern Illinois (Jan. 19). Other home opponents will include Akron (Jan. 26), Kent State (Jan. 31), Buffalo (Feb. 10), Toledo (Feb. 24) and Ball State (Feb. 28).
The Maroon and Gold will hit the road versus MAC East foes Bowling Green (Feb. 3) and Miami (Feb. 16), while road dates versus division foes include at Ball State (Feb. 7), at Western Michigan (Feb. 20), at NIU (March 3) and a regular season finale versus EMU (March 6).
Men's Schedule
The first MAC season under Davis will tip off with a home contest versus Bowling Green, Jan. 9. In postseason play last year, the Chippewas defeated the Falcons in the first round of the 2012 MAC Tournament in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Following a non-conference schedule features contests at Iowa, Utah, Nebraska and Michigan, CMU will hit the road for MAC West contests at Toledo (Jan. 12) and Eastern Michigan (Jan. 15), before returning home to close the first round of divisional play versus Ball State (Jan. 19), Northern Illinois (Jan. 23) and Western Michigan (Jan. 30).
Crossover play will open on the road at Buffalo (Jan. 30) before a home contest versus Miami (Feb. 2). Two straight road games, at Akron (Feb. 5) and Kent State (Feb. 9), and a home tilt versus Ohio (Feb. 13), will close cross-divisional play.
Toledo visits Mount Pleasant (Jan. 16) after suffering a loss to the Chippewas in their last meeting that eliminated them from the 2012 MAC Tournament in Cleveland, Ohio. Following their annual ESPN Bracketbuster contest, the Chippewas will play three of their final four games on the road, with dates at Ball State (Feb. 27), Northern Illinois (March 2) and Western Michigan (March 8 or 9). CMU will play its final home game of the season versus Eastern Michigan (March 5).
