DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University men's basketball program has announced its schedule for the 2017-18 season, and it includes 14 home games with 30 games total and nine first-time opponents.
 
For the sixth year in a row, the Eagles will start the season on the road and they will face three opponents for the first time, beginning with Illinois-Chicago on Friday, Nov. 10.  That kicks off a maroon and gray tour of the heartland as the next opponents will be Evansville, and then Tennessee-Martin.
 
Following the three-game trek, NCCU opens the doors of McDougald-McLendon Arena against Warren-Wilson for the first time in school history before Southern makes its first trip to the Bull City on Sunday, Nov. 19.  The contests with UT-Martin and Southern are part of the Global Sports Challenge, and the Eagles finish their slate in the showcase on the road at Marshall for the third consecutive year and Illinois for the first time.
 
Twenty-eight years after the last meeting, NCCU will face Southeast Missouri for the first time since the 1989 NCAA Division II championship on the road on Sunday, Nov. 26.  The Bears will travel to Durham to complete the home-and-home series on Saturday, Dec. 2 after the Eagles play host to Christendom College on Thursday, Nov. 30.
 
The Eagles finish out the non-conference schedule with a coast-to-coast road trip against first time opponents George Mason and Grand Canyon, before coming back to The Nest to host a rematch with McNeese State on Thursday, Dec. 14.  The Eagles will say goodbye to 2017 with a home match with St. Andrews, who is the ninth and final first-time opponent on the schedule.
 
NCCU starts its title defense and opens the 16-game MEAC schedule with a midweek tilt at Delaware State on Wednesday, Jan. 3.  Following that, the Eagles will host three-straight conference games from Jan. 8-15 against Norfolk State, Coppin State and Morgan State.  The Eagles will face four teams twice: Delaware State, Howard, Maryland Eastern Shore and North Carolina A&T.  Hampton is the eighth MEAC opponent that will visit Durham this season.
 
The Eagles' first meeting with the Aggies will be on Saturday, Jan. 27 in Greensboro, and then NC A&T will visit The Nest to close the season on Thursday, March 1.
 
NCCU will begin its quest for a third NCAA Tournament bid at Scope Arena for the 2018 MEAC Basketball Tournament which starts on Monday, March 5.