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The American Announces 2018-19 Men’s Basketball Conference Schedule
September 19, 2018
The American Athletic Conference announced its 2018-19 men’s basketball conference schedule which tips off after New Year’s Day with 10 teams in action on January 2. All 108 conference games will be carried on ESPN and CBS networks this season.
In total, 81 league games are set to air on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews or ESPN3 with 27 contests on CBS or CBS Sports Network.
Further highlighting a competitive slate for The American are 26 other nonconference television matchups that already have been announced with more to be released in the coming weeks. Nonleague TV matchups already feature 15 games against NCAA Tournament participants, four against Elite 8 teams and two contests against 2018 national champion Villanova.
The American is coming off a record-breaking season. The league secured its highest seeds in the NCAA Tournament as Cincinnati and Wichita State secured No. 2 and No. 4 seeds, respectively, along with Houston as No. 6 seed. All three teams were ranked in the final USA Today’s Coaches Poll (Cincinnati – 12, Houston – 22, Wichita State – 25).
Cincinnati and head coach Mick Cronin aim for their ninth-consecutive appearance in the NCAA tournament as they boast the fifth-longest streak in the nation. Just behind is head coach Gregg Marshall and Wichita State, which have made the tournament in seven-straight seasons.
American play tips with five different games to start the New Year. Tulane at Cincinnati and UConn at USF air on CBS Sports Network, while Temple at UCF, Tulsa at Houston and ECU at SMU play on the ESPN family of networks.
In a rematch of the 2018 American Athletic Conference championship game, Houston hosts Cincinnati Sunday, February 10, at 3 p.m. Central Time, on ESPN. The two teams will square off again in the final regular-season contest for both squads, Sunday, March 10 at 11 a.m. CT, on CBS. Both teams open newly-renovated facilities for the 2018-19 season in Cincinnati’s Fifth Third Arena and Houston’s Fertitta Center.
Wichita State welcomes Cincinnati Saturday, January 19, at 1 p.m. CT, for a matchup on CBS. The Shockers and the Bearcats will show down again in Cincinnati Sunday, February 17, on ESPN, at 11 a.m. CT.
Three new head coaches will make their debuts in The American in 2019. UConn’s Dan Hurley leads the Huskies to USF on the first day of league competition (1/2/19) on CBSSN as will ECU’s returning Joe Dooley, when the Pirates face SMU on ESPN3. Memphis’ Penny Hardaway coaches his first American game the next night, Thursday, January 3, as the Tigers host Wichita State on CBSSN.
Temple’s Fran Dunphy, the all-time winningest coach in Philadelphia Big 5 history, returns for his 13th and final season as head coach of the Owls and tips league play on ESPNews against UCF, Wednesday, January 2, against Johnny Dawkins and UCF.
The American Athletic Conference Championship returns to FedExForum in Memphis, TN, March 14-17. FedExForum Forum was site of the inaugural American championship tournament in 2014.
Noteworthy Nonconference Television Games
Day |
Date |
Matchup |
Central Time) |
Network |
Event / Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed. | Nov. 7 | Ohio State at Cincinnati | 5 p.m. | ESPN2 | |
| Fri. | Nov. 9 | Wichita State vs. Providence | 5 p.m. | CBSSN | Veterans Classic (Annapolis, MD) |
| Tue. | Nov. 20 | SMU vs. Bradley | 5 p.m. | CBSSN | Cancun Challenge (Cancun, Mexico) |
| Thu. | Nov. 22 | Tulsa vs. Nevada | 2 p.m. | FS1 | Las Vegas Holiday Classic (Las Vegas) |
| Fri. | Nov. 23 | Cincinnati vs. George Mason | 6 p.m. | CBSSN | Emerald Coast Classic (Niceville, FL) |
| Thu. | Nov. 29 | Alabama at UCF | 6 p.m. | ESPNU | |
| Sat. | Dec. 1 | Temple at Saint Joseph’s | 4:30 p.m. | NBCSN | |
| Sat. | Dec. 1 | Cincinnati at UNLV | 5 p.m. | CBSSN | |
| Sat. | Dec. 1 | Baylor at Wichita State | 7 p.m. | CBSSN | |
| Sat. | Dec. 1 | Oregon at Houston | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 | |
| Sun. | Dec. 2 | Arizona at UConn | 12 p.m. | ESPN2 | |
| Wed. | Dec. 5 | Oklahoma State at Tulsa | 7 p.m. | CBSSN | |
| Wed. | Dec. 5 | Temple at Villanova | 7:30 p.m. | FS1 | |
| Wed. | Dec. 5 | TCU at SMU | 9 p.m. | ESPNU | |
| Sat. | Dec. 8 | Xavier at Cincinnati | 1 p.m. | ESPN2 | |
| Sat. | Dec. 8 | Kansas State at Tulsa | 3:30 p.m. | CBSSN | |
| Sat. | Dec. 8 | Florida State vs. UConn | 5 p.m. | ESPN2 | Never Forget Tribute Classic (Newark, NJ) |
| Wed. | Dec. 12 | LSU at Houston | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 | |
| Sat. | Dec. 15 | Tennessee at Memphis | 11 a.m. | ESPN2 | |
| Sat. | Dec. 15 | SMU at Georgetown | 11 a.m. | FS1 | |
| Sat. | Dec. 15 | Southern Miss at Wichita State | 4:30 p.m. | CBSSN | |
| Sun. | Dec. 16 < | Saint Louis at Houston | 2 p.m. | ESPNU | |
| Wed. | Dec. 19 | UCLA at Cincinnati | 8 p.m. | ESPN2 | |
| Sat. | Dec. 22 | Wichita State at VCU | 3 p.m. | ESPN2 | |
| Sat. | Dec. 22 | Villanova vs. UConn | 3 p.m. | MSG | at Madison Square Garden (New York, NY) |
| Sat. | Jan. 19 | Penn at Temple | 4 p.m. | CBSSN |
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