NCCU Releases 2021-22 Men’s, Women’s Basketball Schedules

DURHAM, N.C. – After playing the fewest amount of games in a season in 84 years, the North Carolina Central University men’s basketball program has announced a return to a full slate of action with 30 games on the docket for the 2021-22 campaign.

The schedule is comprised of 16 non-conference games and 14 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contests where each school will play the other twice. The Eagles will host a total of 12 games inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.

The season will begin with four consecutive road games, starting on Nov. 9 at Richmond for the first time in program history. Following that, NCCU will visit Memphis on Nov. 13 for the first time since 2014, and then return to Iowa for the second consecutive season on Nov. 16. The Eagles will close the season-opening road trek against another first-time opponent, Alabama State, on Nov. 20.

NCCU will turn the lights on in The Nest for the first time on Nov. 23 when it hosts Warren Wilson to start a brief two-game homestand. The Eagles finish the set with Apprentice School on Nov. 27.

The Eagles then embark on a four-game trip; at Gardner-Webb on Nov. 29 for the first half of a home-and-home series, at USC Upstate on Dec. 1, at UNC Asheville on Dec. 4, and at The Citadel on Dec. 6. NCCU will play its final home games of the calendar year on Dec. 9 against Carver, and Dec. 15 against Gardner-Webb. NCCU then starts a marquee game road trip, first by heading to Newark, New Jersey to battle Hampton for the first time since the 2016 MEAC Tournament Championship in the inaugural Invesco QQQ HBCU Legacy Classic on Dec. 18.

The Eagles will then close December in its first appearance at the Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational in El Paso, Texas on Dec. 21 and 22. The Eagles will take on the hosts, UTEP, on Dec. 21, and then play either Bradley or Sam Houston State to conclude the event on Dec. 22.

NCCU starts 2022 with its final non-conference game on Jan. 5 against Mid-Atlantic Christian. NCCU will host seven MEAC competitions: Morgan State on Jan. 8, Coppin State on Jan. 10, Howard on Jan. 29, Norfolk State on Jan. 31, Delaware State on Feb. 19, Md. Eastern Shore on Feb. 21, and South Carolina State in the regular-season finale on March 3.

The 2022 MEAC Tournament will be held at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia from March 9-12.

The North Carolina Central University women’s basketball team has announced a 25-game regular-season schedule for the 2021-22 season, which includes a heavy road non-conference slate and 14 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) clashes in the New Year.

The Eagles will begin the season with eight straight road games in a 33-day span, starting with a trip to the University of Illinois to begin the season on Tuesday, Nov. 9.

NCCU’s first 15 days will also include visits to Appalachian State University (Nov. 14), Virginia Commonwealth University (Nov. 17), University of Nebraska (Nov. 20), and James Madison University (Nov. 24). The Eagles’ next three road trips after Thanksgiving will all be within their home state, visiting Elon University (Nov. 29) and East Carolina University (Dec. 6) before finishing up the lengthy road swing at rival North Carolina A&T State University (Dec. 11).

The Eagles will finally play their first basketball game at home inside McDougald-McLendon Arena on Monday, Dec. 20, against Johnson & Wales University. NCCU’s only other home non-conference home tilt will be against St. Andrews University on Monday, Feb. 7.

After playing Illinois and Nebraska, NCCU will play a third ‘Power 5’ conference team with a trip to Oregon State University on Dec. 28 for a final non-conference contest before starting league play.

The MEAC schedule has been reduced to 14 games with the departure of three institutions. The Eagles will play the other seven members both at home and on the road. NCCU will begin and finish league play at home with its home conferences consisting of Morgan State University (Jan. 8), Coppin State University (Jan. 10), Howard University (Jan. 29), Norfolk State University (Jan. 31), Delaware State University (Feb. 19), University of Maryland Eastern Shore (Feb. 21) and South Carolina State University (March 3).

All eight teams will qualify for the 2022 MEAC Basketball Championships that will once again be played at the Norfolk Scope Arena from March 9-12. The quarterfinals will be contested over a two-day span that Wednesday and Thursday, the semifinals will be on Friday and the championship game will be on Saturday.