HANOVER, N.H. — Dartmouth men's basketball head coach
David McLaughlin announced the
Big Green's schedule for the 2021-22 season today featuring one of its most challenging slates in recent years. Aside from the 14 games in the Ivy League — with a new format — the Big Green will have matchups with schools from the ACC, Big East and Pac-12, not to mention a number of regional rivals.
"We welcome a challenging schedule which will certainly prepare us for the rigors of Ivy League play," McLaughlin said. "Our league will be as strong as ever, and the travel and challenges of November and December will prepare us well."
Dartmouth will plunge into the deep end immediately with the season opener at Boston College on Nov. 9 followed by a trip to Georgetown to take on the Hoyas four days later. Following the home opener on Nov. 16 against Northern Vermont-Lyndon, the Big Green hit the road for games at Bryant, Vermont and Florida Gulf Coast.
The home fans in Hanover will get another look at the squad on Dec. 8 and 11 when Dartmouth hosts Quinnipiac and Boston University. Then the Green head across the country for three games in the state of California at Stanford, California and Cal State Bakersfield before the Christmas holiday.
"We are excited to have some extensive travel, which will include trips to Florida and a 3-game trip to California," McLaughlin continued. "We will be consistently challenged at Leede and on the road, by very talented and well-coached teams each time we step on the court. The preparation levels of our staff and players will be consistently tested."
The final game of the 2021 calendar year will take place at Leede Arena on Dec. 29 against New Hampshire for bragging rights in the state. The Wildcats currently own a slim 36-34 advantage in the all-time series.
For the first time in 35 years, Dartmouth will not open its Ivy League slate against Harvard. The Ancient Eight has spread out the schedule with only three weekends of Friday-Saturday matchups. Instead, the Big Green will travel to Cornell to play the Big Red in the league opener on Jan. 2.
Dartmouth will entertain Yale and Brown the following weekend (Jan. 7-8) before concluding its non-conference action against a team still to be determined on Jan. 11. A trip to Penn on Jan. 15 will be followed by hosting Harvard on Martin Luther King Jr. Day two days later.
The Big Green will end January with single games against Princeton and at Columbia on the last two Saturdays of the month. That showdown with the Lions is the first of four consecutive road games, with Yale and Brown on tap the first weekend of February and a game at Princeton on Feb. 12. Dartmouth will then host Cornell and Columbia on Feb. 18-19 and Penn the next Saturday before the regular season comes to a close at Harvard on March 5.
A top-four finish in the Ancient Eight standings would send the Big Green to the Ivy League Tournament, finally hosted by Harvard. The Crimson were set to host the event two years ago when the pandemic abruptly canceled it. The semifinals are set for March 12 with the championship game the following day, which also happens to be Selection Sunday for the NCAA Tournament.
The last time Dartmouth took the court, it was 12-17 overall and posted a 5-9 record in Ivy play in McLaughlin's fourth season at the helm.
All home games and road Ivy League games will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Bob Lipman joined by Dave Faucher calling the action. Audio broadcasts will also be available for free through the Dartmouth Athletics website featuring Brett McLaughlin and Bill Murphy.
McLaughlin and his players are very eager to play in front of the home fans again. "Most of all, I know all of our guys are excited to get back into Leede Arena and play in front of the Dartmouth and Upper Valley communities."
Season tickets are on sale now at the Dartmouth Athletics Ticket Office. Call 603-646-2466 or visit the Dartmouth Athletics official website, DartmouthSports.com, to reserve your seats today.