NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion men's basketball head coach, Jeff Jones, announced the completion of the non-conference slate for the 2020-21 Monarch season on Tuesday with the addition of home games against Elon and Penn. The 11-game non-conference schedule is highlighted by six instate opponents. Another schedule highlight is the neutral site game in Little Rock against Arkansas. Seven of the opponents are former conference foes.
The schedule includes all of ODU's longest rivals. ODU has played 50 or more games against just six opponents in its history (George Mason, Richmond, William & Mary, East Carolina, James Madison and VCU). In 2020-21, the Monarchs will play all six of those teams. VCU and William & Mary are scheduled to play in Chartway Arena, while ODU will travel to George Mason, Richmond, East Carolina and James Madison.
"We have put together an attractive and highly competitive non-conference schedule for the 2020-21 ODU men's basketball season," said Jones. "This schedule will undoubtedly prepare us for league play within Conference USA. And playing so many historic rivals will be exciting for Monarch Nation."
Old Dominion returns its top six scorers from the 2019-20 season, while Coach Jones' 510 career wins as a college head coach ranks 24th among active Division I head coaches.
Quick Hitters on the Non-Conference Opponents
PENN
Campus Location: Philadelphia, Pa.
Head Coach: Steve Donahue (5 seasons at Penn)
Conference: Ivy League
2019-20 Record: 16-11 (8-6)
All-Time Series: This will be the first meeting between these programs
NCAA Tournament Appearances (Last): 24 (2018)
Steve Donahue is the only coach in Ivy League history to lead two different programs to conference championships, Cornell (2008, 2009, 2010) and Penn (2018). Penn has 26 Ivy League Championships.
GEORGE MASON
Campus Location: Fairfax, Va.
Head Coach: Dave Paulsen (5 seasons at GMU)
Conference: Atlantic 10
2019-20 Record: 17-15 (5-13)
All-Time Series: ODU leads 36-22
Last Meeting: L, 60-53 (2019 Cayman Classic)
First Meeting: 1979-80 (W, 99-78)
NCAA Tournament Appearances (Last): 6 (2011)
George Mason advanced to the Final Four of the 2006 NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed. As former members of the Colonial Athletic Association, the Patriots claimed four CAA titles (1989, 1999, 2001 and 2008).
RICHMOND
Campus Location: Richmond, Va.
Head Coach: Chris Mooney (15 seasons at Richmond)
Conference: Atlantic 10
2019-20 Record: 24-7 (14-4)
All-Time Series: ODU leads 33-27
Last Meeting: L, 62-59 (2019-20)
First Meeting: 1977-78 (L, 82-81)
NCAA Tournament Appearances (Last): 9 (2011)
With no seniors on last year's roster, Richmond compiled a 24-7 overall record, which tied the program record for wins in a regular season. The Spiders went 14-4 in A10 play in 2019-20, which earned them a No. 2 seed in the A10 Tournament. Chris Mooney is the winningest coach in program history.
NORTHEASTERN
Campus Location: Boston, Mass.
Head Coach: Bill Coen (14 seasons at Northeastern)
Conference: Colonial Athletic Association
2019-20 Record: 17-16 (9-9)
All-Time Series: ODU leads 9-5
Last Meeting: W, 82-69 (2019-20)
First Meeting: 2005-06 (W, 85-79)
NCAA Tournament Appearances (Last): 9 (2019)
In 2019-20, Northeastern advanced to the CAA title game. After 14 seasons of leading the Huskies, Bill Coen ranks No. 2 all-time in school and CAA history with 241 and 163 wins, respectively. He needs just nine more wins at Northeastern to catch Jim Calhoun's 250 from 1972-86. The Monarchs and Huskies were both members of the CAA from 2005-06 to 2012-13.
WILLIAM & MARY
Campus Location: Williamsburg, Va.
Head Coach: Dane Fischer (1 season at W&M)
Conference: Colonial Athletic Association
2019-20 Record: 21-11 (13-5)
All-Time Series: ODU leads 68-23
Last Meeting: L, 63-46 (2019-20)
First Meeting: 1968-69 (W, 80-65)
In his first season at the helm in Williamsburg, Dane Fischer led the Tribe to a 21-11 overall record and a 13-5 mark in league play. Fischer came to W&M in 2019 after spending the previous four seasons as the top assistant at George Mason.
EAST CAROLINA
Campus Location: Greenville, N.C.
Head Coach: Joe Dooley (6 seasons at ECU)
Conference: American Athletic
2019-20 Record: 11-20 (5-13)
All-Time Series: ODU leads 38-14
Last Meeting: W, 68-47 (2013-14)
First Meeting: 1966-67 (L, 90-88)
NCAA Tournament Appearances (Last): 2 (1993)
After leading Florida Gulf Coast to five conference titles and five consecutive 20-win seasons, former ECU head men's basketball coach Joe Dooley returned for a second stint at East Carolina beginning in 2018-19. Dooley also served as the head coach in Greenville from 1995-99.
ELON
Campus Location: Elon, N.C.
Head Coach: Mike Schrage (1 season at Elon)
Conference: Colonial Athletic Association
2019-20 Record: 13-21 (7-11)
All-Time Series: ODU leads 3-2
Last Meeting: W, 84-70 (1998-99)
First Meeting: 1939-40 (L, 61-41)
Mike Schrage came to Elon in 2019 after spending two seasons as an assistant coach at Ohio State.
JAMES MADISON
Campus Location: Harrisonburg, Va.
Head Coach: Mark Byington (2020-21 will mark his first season at JMU)
Conference: Colonial Athletic Association
2019-20 Record: 9-21 (2-16)
All-Time Series: ODU leads 58-27
Last Meeting: L, 80-78 (2019-20)
First Meeting: 1971-72 (W, 99-68)
NCAA Tournament Appearances (Last): 5 (2013)
A native of Salem, Va., Mark Byington returned to the Commonwealth after seven years at the helm for Georgia Southern. Byington was the first GSU coach to win 20 or more games in three consecutive seasons in more than 30 years.
VCU
Campus Location: Richmond, Va.
Head Coach: Mike Rhoades (3 seasons at VCU)
Conference: Atlantic 10
2019-20 Record: 18-13 (8-10)
All-Time Series: VCU leads 51-44
Last Meeting: L, 69-57 (2019-20)
First Meeting: 1968-69 (W, 101-69)
NCAA Tournament Appearances (Last): 17 (2019)
In just his second season at VCU in 2018-19, Mike Rhoades led the Rams back to the NCAA Tournament, as well as their first Atlantic 10 Conference outright regular season championship. VCU's 25 total wins and 16 conference wins tied program regular-season marks. For his efforts, Rhoades was named the 2019 Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year.
ARKANSAS
Campus Location: Fayetteville, Ark.
Head Coach: Eric Musselman (1 season at Arkansas)
Conference: Southeastern
2019-20 Record: 20-12 (7-11)
All-Time Series: This will be the first ever meeting between these programs
NCAA Tournament Appearances (Last): 32 (2018)
Eric Mussleman led the Razorbacks to 20 wins in his first season at Arkansas in 2019-20, while his team has recorded 20 or more wins in each of his five seasons as a collegiate head coach. Mussleman came from Nevada after leading the Wolf Pack to three straight NCAA tournaments. In early 2020-21 preseason polls, ESPN has the Razorbacks ranked No. 20, while CBS Sports ranks the Hogs No. 23.
VIRGINIA WESLEYAN
Campus Location: Virginia Beach, Va.
Head Coach: Dave Macedo (20 seasons at Virginia Wesleyan)
Conference: Old Dominion Athletic
2019-20 Record: 23-5 (13-3)
Dave Macedo has guided the Marlins to a 431-151 record with a 251-85 mark in ODAC play. He led the Marlins to 11-straight NCAA tournaments, from 2004-05 to 2014-15, one of the longest streaks in NCAA Division III history.
2020-21 Old Dominion Men's Basketball Non-Conference Schedule
Date Opponent
Nov. 10 vs. Penn
Nov. 13 at George Mason
Nov. 18 at Richmond
Nov. 21 vs. Northeastern
Nov. 27 vs. William & Mary
Dec. 1 at East Carolina
Dec. 4 vs. Elon
Dec. 7 at James Madison
Dec. 12 vs. VCU
Dec. 19 vs. Arkansas (game will be played in Little Rock, Ark.)
Dec. 22 vs. Virginia Wesleyan
Home games in bold
Jeff Jones Announces Non-Conference Schedule for 2020-21 Season
