NORFOLK, Va. -- Old Dominion head men’s basketball coach Mike Jones announced on Wednesday the 2024-25 non-conference schedule for the coming season with seven home dates and a three-game event in the Cayman Islands.
“We are very excited about our schedule. As we navigate the ever-changing landscape of college athletics and scheduling, we are proud of the non-conference schedule that we will embark on this season,” said Jones. “Each game and each opponent provides a different set of challenges - while preparing us for our main focus, the Sun Belt gauntlet. We can’t wait until Nov. 4 to get things started!”
The Monarchs will open the Mike Jones era on Monday, November 4 at home when they face the Buffalo Bulls inside Chartway Arena in the first round of the MAC-SBC Challenge. This will be the second meeting with Buffalo who finished 4-27 last season. ODU will be on the road against a Mid-American Conference opponent on Saturday, February 8.
On Saturday, Nov. 9, the Monarchs will head to Tucson, Arizona to tangle with the Wildcats of Arizona inside the McKale Center. Arizona advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 last season finishing with a 27-9 record. The only prior meeting between the schools came in the 1975-76 season with Arizona winning 88-74. Arizona was ranked ninth in the latest ESPN Way Too Early Top 25 announced on Monday.
From Arizona, the Monarchs will then head to Radford for a November 12 matchup with the Highlanders at the Dedmon Center. ODU defeated Radford 69-68 last season at Chartway Arena and hold a 2-0 lead in the series. This will be the first meeting at Radford in the series.
Following Radford, the Monarchs will play six of their nine games to close the 2024 portion of the slate inside Chartway Arena. That run starts hosting Maryland Eastern Shore on November 15, followed by Randolph-Macon College on Tuesday, Nov. 19.
The Monarchs will take to the road following the Randolph-Macon contest to the Cayman Islands where they’ll participate in the Cayman Island Classic. This three-game event will start on Sunday, Nov. 24 when ODU wraps up day one facing Boston College at 7:30 p.m. ET. The next day will see them face either Missouri State or High Point, while the other half of the bracket consists of Hampton, Boise State, South Dakota State and Duquesne.
The Monarchs will be home the entire month of December in non-conference play. William & Mary starts that stretch on December 2, followed by George Washington on December 7. Following exam break, ODU will host Northeastern on December 15 and then Virginia Wesleyan on December 28.
2024-2025 ODU Men’s Basketball Non-Conference Schedule
|
Mon., Nov. 4 |
Buffalo (SBC/MAC Challenge) |
Norfolk, Va. |
|
Sat., Nov. 9 |
Arizona |
Tucson, Ariz. |
|
Tue., Nov. 12 |
Radford |
Radford, Va. |
|
Fri., Nov. 15 |
UMES |
Norfolk, Va. |
|
Tue., Nov. 19 |
Randolph-Macon |
Norfolk, Va. |
|
Sun., Nov. 24 |
Boston College |
Cayman Islands |
|
Mon., Nov. 25 |
Missouri St./High Point |
Cayman Islands |
|
Tue., Nov. 26 |
TBD |
Cayman Islands |
|
Mon., Dec. 2 |
William & Mary |
Norfolk, Va. |
|
Sat., Dec. 7 |
George Washington |
Norfolk, Va. |
|
Sun., Dec. 15 |
Northeastern |
Norfolk, Va. |
|
Sat., Dec. 28 |
Virginia Wesleyan |
Norfolk, Va. |
|
Sat., Feb. 8 |
SBC/MAC Challenge |
Away |