The full schedule for Elon’s men’s basketball team was released on Sept. 24, 2018. It is headlined by the home opener and first official men’s basketball game in the new Schar Center on Nov. 9 against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels.
"We are excited about all of the great things happening around our program and our players are taking full advantage of Schar Center," said 10th-year head coach Matt Matheny in a statement. He also added how “fortunate” the team is to have the opportunity to take on UNC in their first home game inside the Schar Center.
Prior to the home opener, the team will host Randolph College for an exhibition game Oct. 30 and then travel to Manhattan College on Nov. 6 for their season opener.
Other highlights include a trip to California in late November for a three-day tournament, the Pacific Classic. At the tournament, Elon will play Abilene Christian University, University of California Riverside and Pacific University, all teams Elon has never played before. The Phoenix will be on the west coast from Thanksgiving Day until Nov. 24. They will play three games over three days before returning to Elon where the team will play its next five games, including a Dec. 1 matchup against Boston University.
Elon will have an unfamiliar non-conference portion of their schedule. Along with the three teams from the Pacific Classic, the Phoenix will be playing seven teams they have never faced.
Matheny said that the cross-continental matchups are crucial to getting the team read for their conference schedule, saying that it will “prepare us for the battles in the CAA."
The 32-game slate will culminate with 16 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) games to end the year. These will be pivotal as they will determine where the team will stack up against the rest of the conference when they travel south to Charleston for the CAA Tournament.
With 17 home games on tap, their will be plenty of opportunities for Elon students, faculty, and parents alike to come check out the brand new, 5,100-seat Schar Center while supporting Elon men’s basketball this year.