Tigers’ 2015-16 schedule released
20 games at FedExForum
The University of Memphis will play four of its first six American Athletic Conference games at FedExForum and be featured three times on ESPN’s Thursday Night Showcase as part of its 2015-16 men’s basketball schedule.
The Tigers, who open the regular season Nov. 14 at FedExForum against former longtime rival Southern Miss, released their complete schedule Tuesday following the AAC’s release of the conference schedule.
Memphis’ 18-game league slate includes a tough stretch in late January and early February that includes a road game at defending AAC regularseason and tournament champion SMU (Jan. 30) followed by back-toback home games against Connecticut (Feb. 4) and Cincinnati (Feb. 6). The Tigers, who finished 18-14
overall and 10-8 in league play a season ago, close out AAC play with backto-back road games for the second straight year, finishing the regular season at Temple (March 3) and East Carolina (March 6).
The AAC portion of Memphis’ regular-season schedule tips off Dec. 29 against Tulane at FedExForum. Memphis then plays at South Carolina on Jan. 2 — its first true road game of the season — and hosts Nicholls State on Jan. 5 at FedExForum before resuming conference play Jan. 9 at Connecticut.
The Tigers will face league opponents Houston (Feb. 10 on the road) and Tulsa (Feb. 28 at FedExForum) just once in the regular season. They’ll play every other team in the league twice. The AAC tournament, which was played in Hartford, Connecticut, last season, is slated for March 10-13 at the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida.
All 31 of Memphis’ regular-season games will be aired on either the ESPN family of networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU and ESPNews) or CBS Sports Network. The Tigers’ first major national television appearance of the season will come Nov. 17 when they face an Oklahoma team expected to be ranked in the top 10 this preseason at FedExForum as part of ESPN’s annual College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.
Memphis’ nonconference schedule also features key matchups against Ohio State (on Nov. 27 in Hoophall Miami Invitational at AmericanAirlines Arena) and Ole Miss (Dec. 18 at FedExForum).
In all, the Tigers will play eight games against teams that made the NCAA tournament last season and seven more against teams that made the NIT or CIT.
“I think our nonconference schedule is really tough. (There are) about three or four games on that home schedule in the nonconference that if we don’t bring it at the highest level, it can cause us problems,” coach Josh Pastner said.
“I also think the game against Ohio State (in Miami) is a great opportunity for us to be in an atmosphere outside of Memphis. Our young team against a perennial power in Ohio State will be a really good test. Then a really tough atmosphere at South Carolina will hopefully get us ready for conference season on the road.”