MVC Releases Men's Basketball Conference Schedule

ST. LOUIS - - Belmont University men's basketball will play host to 10 Missouri Valley Conference games at the Curb Event Center as the league office releases its 2023-24 men's basketball conference schedule Friday.

"After playing our inaugural season in the MVC last year, I now have even more enthusiasm, respect, and anticipation for conference competition," said Casey Alexander, Belmont head coach. "It's a tremendous league, full of challenges, which makes it great fun."

Belmont opens conference play Nov. 29 at Northern Iowa. The Bruins swept the Panthers last season in two hard-fought games. Northern Iowa was picked first in the Missouri Valley Conference by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook.

Belmont hosts Valparaiso in its league home opener Dec. 2. The Bruins defeated the Beacons on national television for the program's historic first MVC win.
 
The Bruins open January at Southern Illinois before a home date with defending MVC tournament champion Drake Jan. 7.

Other schedule highlights include:

• Indiana State visits the Curb Event Center Jan. 31. The Sycamores and Bruins played two of the highest-scoring games of 2022-23.
• Belmont Homecoming 2024 will be Feb. 24 vs. Missouri State.
• Senior Day will be March 3 vs. Evansville.

Belmont faces rival Murray State twice this season.

The Racers come to the Curb Event Center Feb.7, with the Bruins returning the favor three weeks later.

With a 20-game Missouri Valley Conference schedule, Belmont plays nine home-and-home series in 2023-24 plus single games against Bradley and Evansville.

In total, Belmont will play 13 games against teams with Q1/Q2 rankings from the 2023 NET rankings.

The non-conference is highlighted by contests against Arizona, Furman, Middle Tennessee, Samford and Penn.

For a third straight season, the live play-by-play of CBS Nashville sports anchor and Voice of the Bruins Steve Layman can be heard on Belmont Bruins Radio on iHeartRadio.
 
Belmont season tickets – which include the entire men's and women's basketball home schedule – are on sale now at belmontbruins.com/tickets. 
 
To become a Bruin Club member, contact Russell Grimm at (615) 460-5668 or russell.grimm@belmont.edu.

Belmont University men's basketball has been a postseason fixture the last two decades, including nine berths to the NCAA Tournament. The Bruins have won 20 conference championships since 2006 - third-most nationally over that span (Gonzaga, Kansas). Belmont has won 20 or more games in 13 consecutive seasons (Gonzaga, Kansas, Oregon) and 19 or game games in 18 consecutive seasons (Gonzaga, Kansas, San Diego State). Belmont is among select programs with two or more first-round selections in the NBA Draft over the last five years (Ben Sheppard, Dylan Windler). Belmont University men's basketball boasts an NCAA-leading 19 CoSIDA Academic All-America selections since 2001 and is the only NCAA Division I program to make the NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) Honor Roll every year of existence