Northern Kentucky University may not have football, but fear not Norse fans, basketball season is here at last. With the new season come new faces and some familiar favorites. The newest face for either team is the new mascot, which was unveiled at meet the Norse night.

The men’s team opens their regular season November 18th against Findlay at Regents Hall. The women’s team opens up with Wilberforce on November 16th. Attendance for these games would be much appreciated by both teams. Regents Hall is a small gym that can be hostile to visiting opponents when packed with people.

That is where you come in Norse fans. Make it extra difficult for teams to come to NKU and win a game on the road. The fans here at NKU can be just as passionate as those at large division one schools.

With the crowd making it life tough on the other team, NKU is playing with 6 players, the five on the floor and the sixth man being the crowd.

There isn’t a team in the GLVC that can come in to Regents and compete with a capacity crowd. The players respond to loud cheering, creating an exciting basketball season from start to finish.

Let’s create the type of environment opposing players will fear long before they take the court.

The teams have been predicted to finish well in the conference. This season the conference has changed to a two division conference with seven teams in each side.

NKU has been predicted to finish 2nd in the East conference with St. Joseph’s earning the top spot in the preseason poll.

The rest of the division includes rival Kentucky Wesleyan, Bellarmine, UW- Parkside, Indianapolis, and Lewis.

The best of the west is Southern Indiana, followed by SIU- Edwardsville, Quincy, Drury, Missouri-St. Louis, Missouri-Rolla, and Rockhurst. The GLVC should be a fantastic conference this year.

The women’s basketball team is predicted to finish 3rd in the East division of the GLVC. Picked to finish ahead of NKU was Bellarmine and Lewis. In the West division, Drury earns the top spot. This is the first season for Drury to be in the GLVC. The women’s team looks to improve on a 16-12 season last year. Three starters return from last year’s team making NKU a force to be reckoned with this year in division II.

The men return to the court this year working to rebound from a 14-15 last year. The Norse return only one starter from last year’s team that made a late charge in the GLVC tournament before losing in the championship game to Southern Indiana.

Both teams should provide plenty of excitement this year. Come out and support NKU basketball and make the opposition regret scheduling a game against NKU at Regents Hall.