Chattanooga Mocs head basketball coach Will Wade announced the 2013-14 schedule on Monday. His first season features 14 home dates and trips to UCLA, Georgia and Nevada.
“It’s nice to have it done and give our fans something to look forward to,” Wade said. “It was one of our first tasks when we got here, and I am really pleased at what we were able to accomplish. It sets up well for our first season and for future years.
“Moving forward, we will be able to better apply our scheduling philosophy starting in 2014-15,” he added. “We’re excited with the series with Georgia and UAB and look forward to those schools coming back to Chattanooga in 2014-15.”
The season tips off with three of four games at home in McKenzie Arena. Nearby Covenant College, from atop Lookout Mountain starts it off on Friday, November 8 at 5:30 p.m., prior to the Lady Mocs season opener with Alabama at 7:30 p.m., as the coaching eras of Wade and Lady Mocs Hall of Fame Head Coach Jim Foster begin. That’s followed by a trip to Radford (11/11) and home games with Montreat (11/16) and Kennesaw State (11/19).
The Las Vegas Invitational is next on the ledger. The Mocs travel to Nevada (11/22) and UCLA (11/24) before heading to Vegas for their bracket in the event staged at the Orleans Arena. UTC squares off with Morehead State (11/28) and meets either IUPUI or Gardner-Webb on the 29th.
From there it’s back to the southeast and a visit to SEC-member Georgia (12/2). Hiwassee (12/10) comes to town before road contests at Northern Kentucky (12/15) and UAB (12/18) end the pre-holiday portion of the slate.
Dr.Pepper Classic: Chattanooga returns from holiday break for the annual Dr Pepper Classic (12/29-30). This year’s field, the 24th edition, features Grand Canyon, Maine and Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders and Black Bears meet in the opening game followed by the Mocs and GCU coached by former NBA star Dan Majerle.
SoCon Schedule: The Southern Conference schedule starts in the New Year with a road trip through South Carolina beginning Jan. 4 at Furman before moving to The Citadel (1/6). The league home opener is three days later as Samford visits the Scenic City on the ninth. The final non-conference matchup is at Eastern Kentucky (2/4).
The 11-team, 16-game conference slate features an unbalanced schedule with no divisions for the first time since the 1994 season. The Mocs meet Furman, Samford, Wofford, Appalachian State, UNCG and Western Carolina home-and-away, with single games coming with The Citadel (away), Elon (home), Davidson (away) and Georgia Southern (home).
SoCon Tourney: The Southern Conference Championship returns to Asheville, N.C., March 7-10. All 11 teams will invade the site of 14 league tourneys in the last 30 years and four of Chattanooga’s 10 championships.
Fans can purchase season tickets for the upcoming 2013-14 campaign at the link above on GoMocs.com or by calling the UTC Ticket Office at (423) 266-MOCS (6627).