INDIANAPOLIS (11/4/2020) -- The 2020-21 Horizon League schedule has been released for the University of Detroit Mercy men's and women's basketball teams as each program will host five Horizon League rivals as part of the 20-game league slate. The non-conference schedules for both programs are still being finalized.
Teams will play one League opponent twice each week with games taking place on consecutive days at the same location. Schools will have five home weekends and five road weekends and will play 10 of 11 League opponents.
"We are pleased to announce our basketball schedules," said Horizon League Commissioner Jon LeCrone. "It has been a work in progress with input from a variety of stakeholders including our student-athletes, coaches, medical staffs, and sport administrators. This collaboration was guided by our fundamental commitment to protect the safety of our student-athletes, coaches, and other team personnel as we navigate competition in an unpredictable environment."
Guided by the principle of safety, the scheduling model was developed in consultation with the League's Return to Safe Play work group, athletic directors, senior woman administrators and faculty athletic representatives, with additional feedback provided by the HL men's and women's basketball coaches and student-athlete captain's council.
The Titan women's basketball conference slate will begin with two games against Wright State on Dec. 12-13 before visiting UIC the following weekend, Dec. 19-20.
After Christmas break, the Titan women will host Milwaukee over New Year's weekend (Jan. 1-2) and Metro Series-rival Oakland will be in Calihan Hall on Jan. 15-16, while traveling to Green Bay (Jan. 8-9), Youngstown State (Jan. 22-23) and newcomer Purdue Fort Wayne (Jan. 29-30).
The women come back to the Motor City on Feb. 5-6 when it takes on Cleveland State. The women's squad will then head to another HL newcomer in Robert Morris on Feb. 12-13 before wrapping up the regular season at home on Feb. 19-20, hosting the defending Horizon League champions, IUPUI.
The Detroit Mercy men's basketball team will begin the HL schedule with two-straight home series as Wright State (Dec. 19-20) and IUPUI (Dec. 26-27) will play on Dick Vitale Court in Detroit.
The January portion of the schedule will see the red, white and blue on the road a lot with the only home series in the month against Green Bay on Jan. 15-16. That will be in-between trips to UIC (Jan. 1-2), Milwaukee (Jan. 8-9), Oakland (Jan. 22-23) and Youngstown State (Jan. 29-30).
In February, the Titans will host both Purdue Fort Wayne (Feb. 5-6) and Robert Morris (Feb. 19-20) with its only road match-up at Cleveland State (Feb. 12-13).
The Titans announced in October that no fans will be allowed at Calihan Hall this year, while the Horizon League. In addition, the Horizon League Board of Directors is overseeing League-wide safety protocols focused on consistency and clarity for all League competition. As part of these protocols, the Board of Directors determined that due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, all League games in the month of December will be played without fans. Team pass lists and complimentary tickets will also be prohibited in December. The Board of Directors will reevaluate these changes at a later date. Fan attendance policies for non-League games will be determined by each institution.
Fans will be allowed to purchase a cardboard cutout, which will be placed on a seat inside Calihan Hall for the upcoming season. More information regarding that will be announced shortly.
