Highlighted by an exhibition at Chattanooga and a regular season schedule that includes four games against 2019 NCAA Tournament teams, the Covenant men's basketball team's 2019-20 schedule was recently finalized. Head coach Neal Young's squad will play 25 regular season contests, with 10 of those coming inside Barnes PE Center.
Covenant is coming off a record-breaking 2018-19 season that saw the Scots win the USA South West Division regular season title and set a program record for winning percentage (.667) after going 18-9 overall.
The Scots finished 16-2 in the USA South, setting a conference record for wins in a season.
The 2019-20 season begins with an exhibition at Chattanooga on Oct. 26 at McKenzie Arena. Tip-off time has yet to be announced. The teams will square off in an exhibition for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
The season officially starts at the Lou Varnell Classic, hosted by Sewanee, on Nov. 8-9. The Scots open with Birmingham Southern on Nov. 8 before facing Sewanee on Nov. 9.
Barnes PE Center will get a first look at the Scots on Nov. 19 when the Scots face off with Birmingham Southern for a second time. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. Covenant then rounds out November with road games at region foes Centre (Nov. 23) and Emory (Nov. 26).
The USA South opener is set for Dec. 4 as Covenant will travel to reigning conference champion Maryville. Maryville and Covenant will also play on Lookout Mountain on Feb. 5. Maryville, Emory, and Sewanee all made the NCAA Tournament a season ago.
Covenant's lone home game in December is against Huntingdon on Dec. 7. The Scots then travel to Jackson, Miss., after Christmas to face Belhaven (Dec. 28) and Millsaps (Dec. 31). In January, Pfeiffer (Jan. 4), LaGrange (Jan. 11), Brevard (Jan. 14), and Berea (Jan. 28) all come to Lookout Mountain.
Over the final month, the Scots will host Greensboro (Feb. 1), Maryville (Feb. 5), Piedmont (Feb. 8), and Averett for Senior Day (Feb. 15).
The USA South Tournament begins on Feb. 25 as the top four teams in each division will qualify. Divisional seeds 1-2 host first round contests and the highest remaining seed will host the semifinals and championship on Feb. 28-29.
Covenant has strung together four straight winning seasons, tying a program record. The Scots have won 68 games over the last four seasons, the most in any four-year stretch in the program's history.
Covenant has faced every opponent on its schedule at least once all-time.
Centre won the SAA regular season title in 2018-19 and narrowly missed an NCAA Tournament berth. The Colonels defeated the Scots, 69-66, on Nov. 13, 2018 in the first meeting all-time between the programs.
Games against Pfeiffer and Brevard will count towards league standings. Both institutions are ineligible for USA South and NCAA Tournament play as they enter their final year of transition from NCAA Division II.