Aug. 24, 2006

ATHENS, Ohio - With the release of the Mid-American Conference docket, the Ohio men's basketball team has announced its complete schedule for 2006-07, the 100th season of Bobcat basketball.

The Bobcats will play the previously announced 13 non-league dates - including two tournaments - before the 16-game MAC schedule begins on Sat., Jan. 6 at home against Akron. The league had employed an 18-game schedule since the 1991-92 season prior to this year's format.

With dates against Akron, Bowling Green (Jan. 11), Buffalo (Jan. 18) and Eastern Michigan (Jan. 24), the Bobcats will play four of their first six MAC games in the Convocation Center. Ohio will also host league tilts against Toledo (Jan. 31), Northern Illinois (Feb. 9), Kent State (Feb. 24) and Miami (March 1).

The Bobcats first road league test will take place on Jan. 14 at defending MAC regular season and tournament champion Kent State. In addition to facing all of its East Division foes on the road, Ohio will also travel for cross-over games at West Division members Ball State (Jan. 28), Central Michigan (Feb. 3) and Western Michigan (Feb. 6). The trip to Western Michigan will be the fifth in the last seven years for the Bobcats.

The 2006-07 season will see a redesigned MAC Tournament as well. Announced this past March, the 2007 edition of the league's postseason bracket (March 7-10) will have all 12 league members in Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena for the first round, with the top four teams still receiving byes. Campus sites had served as the host for first round contests since 1994.

"The MAC season is always challenging and I think this year the regular season means more than it ever has before because of the fact that everybody is going to Cleveland," Ohio Head Coach Tim O'Shea said. "In order to win the tournament, if you don't have a bye, you'll have to win four games in four days."

Announced on Aug. 22, Ohio has been slated as a road team for the 2007 ESPN BracketBusters on either Feb. 16 or 17. Match-ups for the expanded 102-team field will be announced on Jan. 29. Ohio's assignment marks the fourth time in five years that it will be sent on the road.

"I think from a strength-of-schedule standpoint, on the surface this looks like the toughest schedule we've had since I've been at Ohio," O'Shea said. "Everybody is projected to do well in their conference."

The 2006-07 regular season will open at home on Nov. 11 against Marist. That game will kick-off a host of special events that are planned to celebrate Ohio's Centennial season.

A complete schedule can be found by clicking on the link at the top of the page.