DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University men’s basketball program has announced its 2016-17 schedule featuring 13 home games and 30 games total, including six first-time opponents.

The Eagles open the new campaign with three-straight games away from Durham, starting with a rematch with Marshall on Saturday, Nov. 12 at noon.  Following that, NCCU soars to Ohio State for the first time in school history, and then to Western Carolina.

NCCU lifts the curtain on McDougald-McLendon Arena on Friday, Nov. 18 against Jackson State before hitting the road again to visit new foes Northern Kentucky and Missouri.  The month of December begins at home against Southern Wesleyan on Dec. 1 before traveling to East Carolina.

LIU Brooklyn leaves the Big Apple to come to the Bull City on Dec. 6, and then the Eagles go on a southern swing to Coastal Carolina, before making a trek to Louisiana State and McNeese State for the inaugural time.  NCCU bridges the gap between calendar years with a four-game homestand beginning on Dec. 28 with its first meeting with Truett-McConnell and Montreat coming in two days later.

The Eagles will face all 13 MEAC institutions at least once, and will see four teams twice: Maryland Eastern Shore, Delaware State, Howard and North Carolina A&T State. 

NCCU will host eight MEAC competitions beginning with MDES and DSU on Jan. 7 and 9.  Also coming to McDougald-McLendon Arena are: Howard, South Carolina State, Florida A&M, Bethune-Cookman, Savannah State, and rival school North Carolina A&T.

The storied rivalry between NCCU and N.C. A&T State continues on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 4:00 p.m. at McDougald-McLendon Arena, and the Eagles and Aggies will square off for the 150th time at the Corbett Center on Thursday, March 2.

NCCU will then join the rest of the conference at Scope Arena for the 2017 MEAC Basketball Tournament beginning on Monday, March 6.