MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Summer and fall are great and all, but for West Virginia basketball fans, Nov. 10 is the date that can’t get here quick enough.
That’s when the Mountaineers are scheduled to open their 2020-21 season against Fairleigh Dickinson, as revealed by athletic director Shane Lyons Monday as the nonconference schedule was released.
Three days later, a slightly more anticipated opponent will be in town as Pitt visits WVU Coliseum. The Mountaineers are gunning for their fifth straight win in that series.
West Virginia will play at least eight home games on the nonconference schedule. Locations have yet to be announced for the Big East-Big 12 Battle as well as the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
The Mountaineers are scheduled to leave the country Thanksgiving week for the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis in Paradise Island, Bahamas.
The tournament bracket has not been announced, but the field features West Virginia, Duke, Ohio State, Creighton, Wichita State, Utah, Texas A&M and Memphis.
The Mountaineers also have a neutral-court game scheduled with Purdue in Brooklyn, facing the Boilermakers in the Hall of Fame Invitational on Dec. 13.
“We just played the second-toughest schedule in the country and this schedule will be no different,” coach Bob Huggins said in the school’s official release. “We’ve done a great job in recent years in bringing teams to the Coliseum that have gone on to do well in their respective leagues.
“Obviously, the field in the Bahamas is loaded, then mix in Pitt, Purdue, the Big East Battle and the SEC Challenge. This is another challenging schedule for our guys, and a schedule that Mountaineer Nation will enjoy.”
West Virginia basketball 2020-21 nonconference schedule
Nov. 10 Fairleigh Dickinson Morgantown, W.Va.
Nov. 13 Pitt Morgantown, W.Va.
Nov. 17 Stony Brook Morgantown, W.Va.
Nov. 20 Bowling Green Morgantown, W.Va.
Nov. 25 Battle 4 Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas
Nov. 26 Battle 4 Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas
Nov. 27 Battle 4 Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas
Dec. 5/6 Big East-Big 12 Battle TBA
Dec. 9 Robert Morris Morgantown, W.Va.
Dec. 13 Purdue Brooklyn, N.Y.
Dec. 22 Youngstown State Morgantown, W.Va.
Dec. 29 Miami University Morgantown, W.Va.
Jan. 30 SEC/Big 12 Challenge TBA