Louisville returns to Tigers schedule

Non-conference games for 2017-18 include two neutral-site

The Memphis men’s basketball team will play two compelling games at neutral sites, face one Southeastern Conference team at FedExForum, have just one game on the road and host a family reunion as part of its non-conference schedule next year.

Through an open records request and conversations with athletic department officials, The Commercial Appeal has learned the identity of every non-American Athletic Conference school the Tigers are expected to face during the 2017-18 season.

The campaign will begin in Annapolis, Md., where Memphis will play Alabama in a previously announced game as part of the Veterans Classic on Friday Nov. 10 at Navy. The Crimson Tide, who finished with a 19-15 record last year, are expected to be much-improved under third-year Coach Avery Johnson with the addition of top recruits Collin Sexton and John Petty.

In order to accommodate that matchup, the Tigers moved a game at FedExForum against Mercer from Nov. 11 to Dec. 2, athletic director Tom Bowen said. Memphis agreed to pay Mercer $90,000 to come to FedExForum in October 2016, according to a contract obtained by The Commercial Appeal.

The Tigers’ highest-profile non conference game will come against Louisville on Dec. 16 at Madison Square Garden in New York as part of the Gotham Classic. The Cardinals and Tigers have played 89 times since 1948 but not since Louisville joined the ACC ahead of the 2014-15 season.

As part of the contract for that event, Memphis also agreed to host three games at FedExForum against Bryant, Siena and Albany between Dec. 6 and Dec. 20 (or other mutually agreed upon dates). Siena and Albany each finished within the top 130 of the Ratings Percentage Index last season.

As previously reported, Memphis