Wichita State fans can finally fill in their calendars – albeit in pencil – after Friday’s American Athletic Conference schedule release.
The league locked in 20-game schedules for all 11 member schools, though tip times and television information are still to be determined. Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all dates are subject to change.
Start times have been set for three non-conference games against Oral Roberts (Dec. 2, 6 p.m. CT), Missouri (Dec. 6, 1 p.m.) and Oklahoma State (Dec. 12, 2 p.m.). In addition, the game against OSU has been moved from INTRUST Bank Arena to Charles Koch Arena.
As previously announced, all December home games will be behind closed doors due to new restrictions sets by the Sedgwick County Health Team. The current order expires on Dec. 31, 2020.
The Shockers open and close the league slate with consecutive road games but will enjoy a stretch with nine of 14 contests at home between Jan. 9 and Feb. 28.
For the first time in its four seasons in the American, Wichita State will play a home-and-home against every other team in the conference.
The league slate begins at Tulsa on Tuesday, Dec. 15 and continues a week later at USF (Dec. 22).
The Shockers’ first home conference action comes Wednesday, Dec. 30 against East Carolina.
January home dates include: Cincinnati (Jan. 9), Tulsa (Jan. 13), USF (Jan. 24) and UCF (Jan. 30).
WSU plays January road games at each of the top-four teams in the American preseason poll: Houston (Jan. 6), SMU (Jan. 17), Memphis (Jan. 21) and Cincinnati (Jan. 27).
Likewise, WSU’s home schedule concludes with games against each of the preseason top-three. After hosting Tulane (Feb. 3) and Temple (Feb. 7) during the first week of February, the Shockers will welcome Memphis (Feb. 18), Houston (Feb. 25) and SMU (Feb. 28) over an 11-day stretch.
The Shockers will play just two February road games – Feb. 10 at UCF and Feb. 21 at ECU – but spend the first two weeks of March on the road.
The regular season concludes with a road swing through Tulane (Mar. 3) and Temple (Mar. 6), and the American Athletic Conference Championship runs Mar. 11-14 in Fort Worth, Texas.