Sept. 22, 2006
FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- The 2006-07 Fairfield University men's basketball schedule has something for everyone. The slate will include 13 teams that posted a winning record last year, six of which won 20 or more games. Nine conferences will be represented on the schedule, including three schools from the Big East - Connecticut, Georgetown, and Providence. Last year's combined win-loss record of this year's opponents is an impressive 357-276, a .563 winning percentage.
"Our schedule will certainly be a challenge," Head Coach Ed Cooley said. "But our team is up for the challenge and will work hard to play each game with the same level of intensity. We need to show up every night and give our all in order to have success."
For the local basketball enthusiast, Fairfield will play an exhibition game against the University of Bridgeport at the Arena at Harbor Yard on November 1. The women's teams will play the first game of the doubleheader at 6 pm, followed by the men's game at 8 pm. It marks the first time that the men have met since the 1980-81 season when the Stags posted a 96-89 victory. It was the 53rd meeting in school history, with Fairfield winning 40 of those games.
The Stags will play two games on campus at Alumni Hall, their first games at the facility since the 2000-01 campaign. Fairfield will host American University in its season opener and a December 2 match up with Saint Francis College (N.Y.) at Alumni Hall. The remainder of its 12 home games will be played at the Arena at Harbor Yard, including a November 22 date with Georgetown University and a Bracket Buster game on February 17.
The team will play one in-season tournament this year, one of four participants in the Hispanic College Fund Classic hosted by the University of Connecticut. Fairfield will open the three-day tournament against the University of Mississippi on November 17, followed by the host school on November 18 and the University of Central Arkansas on November 19.
Thanksgiving will certainly have a basketball flavor this year, as the Stags will host Georgetown University on November 22 and Loyola University-Chicago on November 25 at the Arena. The three-game home stand ends with the St. Francis game on December 2. That contest starts a five-game stretch that will be played in 10 days, with the team traveling to Providence on December 4 and Boston College on December 6 before returning home for the first two MAAC games against Manhattan on December 8 and Canisius on December 10.
After an 18-day break for the holidays, Fairfield returns to action in the Bronx against Fordham University on December 28. The Stags play 14 straight conference games before completing their non-conference slate in the Bracket Buster on February 17. While the opponent has not been determined, Fairfield will host the game at the Arena. The regular season ends with a home game on February 19 and an away contest on February 25 versus Saint Peter's.
All 10 MAAC schools will descend upon the Arena at Harbor Yard in early March for the 2007 men's and women's basketball tournaments, hosted by Fairfield University.
The men's team will play three games that will be televised this year. The January 19 game at Siena and the January 26 home game versus Saint Peter's will be on ESPNU, while the February 11 contest at Loyola will be carried on the Madison Square Garden (MSG) channel.
2006-07 Fairfield University Men's Basketball Schedule
Date Opponent
November 1 University of Bridgeport (Exhibition)
November 10 American (Alumni Hall)
November 12 at Holy Cross
November 14 at Saint Joseph's
November 17 vs. Mississippi^
November 18 at Connecticut^
November 19 vs. Central Arkansas^
November 22 Georgetown
November 25 Loyola University-Chicago
December 2 St. Francis, N.Y. (Alumni Hall)
December 4 at Providence
December 6 at Boston College
December 8 Manhattan
December 10 Canisius
December 28 at Fordham
January 2 at Rider
January 6 at Manhattan
January 9 at Niagara
January 12 Rider
January 14 at Iona
January 19 at Siena#
January 23 Iona
January 26 Saint Peter's#
January 28 Niagara
February 2 at Canisius
February 5 Loyola
February 8 at Marist
February 11 at Loyola@
February 14 Siena
February 17 Bracket Buster Game
February 19 Marist
February 25 at Saint Peter's
^ - Hartford Civic Center (Hartford, Conn.); # - ESPNU Telecast; @ - MSG Telecast
