2020 has been a year full of uncertainty, but after the Patriot League released their men’s and women’s basketball schedules, people can now be certain that the sport will be played this winter.

The schedule features league-only opponents and the season will begin on Jan. 2. The key factor to the season being successful will depend upon “the league and its member institutions being able to conduct competition in ways that protect the health and safety of student-athletes, coaches, staffs, and their communities,” according to the Loyola Athletics press release linked above. To help do so, the league has implemented a schedule with a “significant reduction in travel and overnight stays.”

During a normal season, Loyola men’s and women’s basketball teams would play each conference opponent twice (one home game and one road game), but due to COVID-19 concerns, each team will play others based on their geographic location. The Patriot League has decided that:

“The 10 Patriot League institutions will be divided into three regional mini-conferences (North, Central, South) with teams playing four games against each regional opponent. Loyola has been placed in the South mini-conference, where it is grouped with American and Navy,” according to the press release.

The biggest “a-ha” of the schedule is how Loyola’s basketball teams will play back-to-back games against the same opponent each week. For example, the men’s team will play American on Jan. 2 in Baltimore, and then play American again on Jan. 3 in Washington, D.C. Another nice scheduling quirk is that the men’s and women’s teams will play the same institution each weekend, alternating home and away games. The women will play American on the road on Jan. 2 (since the men are at home), and then play American at home on Jan. 3.

As of now, the Patriot League Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships are set to take place from Mar. 6-14, and seeding formulas for the tournament will be determined at a later date.

For the Patriot League basketball coaches and student-athletes, it has to be a great feeling knowing that the season is right around the corner, and despite living through a pandemic, the Patriot League is fortunate to have announced that they will attempt to play basketball this winter.

Featured Image courtesy of Julia D’Agostino via Flickr Creative Commons