The Northern Kentucky University Men’s and Women’s Basketball schedules were released on Aug. 24 and the teams have begun to prepare for the season ahead.

The men’s basketball team, won the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship and finished with a 24-7 record last season, will open the 2009-2010 season with an exhibition game against the Xavier Musketeers on Nov. 7 at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati.

The Norse will kick-off the regular season to take on Grand Valley State in Allendale, Mich. against Grand Valley State, who wrapped up their season last year with a 21-10 record.

The Norse will play their first home game against Lake Erie in the John L. Griffin/Lions Club Classic at 7:45 p.m. on Nov. 20 at The Bank of Kentucky Center.

Beginning on Nov. 23, NKU will play the next five games on the road, which will send them through three states during that time. To top off the rigorous road trip, the Norse will open conference play against the Indianapolis Greyhounds Dec. 3 and then’ match-up with Southern Indiana Dec. 5 before finally returning home.

Two new teams have joined the GLVC this season.’ Maryville and Illinois-Springfield now give the GLVC 15- teams, which will increase the competition to earn the right to participate in the GLVC tournament.’ Only 12 teams will have the opportunity to be in the tournament.

NKU will face the Maryville Saints in the schools’ first-ever meeting on Jan. 18 in St. Louis.
The two rounds of the GLVC tournament will be played on Feb. 27 and 28 on campus sites, according to the NKU Sports Information Web site. The teams that advance to the semifinals and the championship will play on March 6-7 in Springfield, Ill.

The NKU Women’s Basketball team will open play on Nov. 1 in an exhibition game against the Louisville Cardinals who finished the ’09 season as the NCAA Division I runner-up.
‘Our whole schedule, from top to bottom, is going to be tough this year,’ Head Coach Nancy Winstel said.

The Norse posted an impressive 29-3 overall record and won the GLVC Tournament Championship for the third time in school history.

NKU will start the regular season with a three-game home-stand beginning with the University of Cincinnati-Clermont on Nov. 18.’ The Norse will host Kentucky State and Georgetown College before they play their first road game.

‘I feel like our schedule is as tough as it’s always been,’ Winstel said.’ ‘The GLVC is an extremely challenging conference and I think our region is arguably one of the best regions in the country.’

NKU will go on the road for a three-game stint, playing Wayne State on Nov. 28 in Detroit, Mich. On Dec. 3 they will battle GLVC rival Indianapolis to start conference play.

‘The GLVC is a tough conference to be successful in and a lot of that is because of the success of teams like us, Indianapolis, Bellarmine, Southern Indiana, Lewis and Drury,’ Winstel said.’ ‘Our conference is very strong.’

A conference championship rematch will take place on Jan. 4 as the Norse host GLVC rival Quincy at The Bank of Kentucky Center.’ The Norse defeated Quincy 77-72 on the Hawks own home floor on Mar. 8 to take the title.

NKU will hit the court with GLVC additions Maryville on Jan. 18 and Illinois-Springfield on Jan. 28.

The opening rounds of the women’s conference tournament will also be played on Feb. 27 and 28.’ The four teams that advance will play in Springfield, Ill., for the semifinals and championship March 6-7, according to the NKU Sports Information Web site.