UNI Releases 2020-21 MVC Basketball Schedules
The Missouri Valley Conference has released the 2020-21 league basketball schedules for the UNI men and women.
Both teams are slated to play a full 18-game schedule, starting in late December. The UNI men open their conference slate at home against Missouri State on Dec. 30, and the women play at Illinois State on New Year's Eve.
The first MVC home game for the UNI women will be on Jan. 7, when the Panthers host Valparaiso at the McLeod Center. The league schedules are divided equally, with men and women both playing nine games at home and nine on the road. Times are yet to be determined.
The MVC men's basketball tournament, commonly known as Arch Madness, will take place Mar. 4-7 in the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The MVC women's tournament -- Hoops In The Heartland -- returns to the Quad Cities on March 11-14 at the TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Ill.
The UNI women are coming off a 2019-20 campaign that featured two program firsts in the same season: the Panthers beat three Power-Five schools and recorded wins over Iowa, Iowa State, and Drake.
Coach Tanya Warren returns All-Conference players Karli Rucker and Megan Maahs for their senior season. Warren is entering her 24th season as the winningest coach in program history. She has a career record of 243-177.
The Panthers have been .500 or better in each of the last 12 seasons and finished with at least 17 wins each of the last 11 years.
Head Coach Ben Jacobson enters his 15th season leading the men’s basketball team. He is also the program's all-time wins leader, boasting a 291-174 career record. Jacobson has guided the Panthers to four NCAA Tournament appearances and four NCAA victories. A four-time MVC Coach of the Year, Jacobson ranks fourth all-time in the MVC coaching victories and also ranks fifth in the league record book for MVC-only wins with 153.
The Panthers return the 2020 Larry Bird Player of the Year in junior AJ Green of Cedar Falls and fellow First Team All-MVC selection junior Austin Phyfe of Waverly. Trae Berhow landed on the MVC All-Improved team a season ago and returns for his senior season, as does 2018 MVC All-Freshman team member Tywhon Pickford.
UNI and athletic department officials continue to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic and plan to announce game day and fan seating plans in the future. To renew basketball season tickets, CLICK HERE or call 319-273-4849.
2020-21 UNI Men's Basketball Schedule - Missouri Valley Conference Games
| Date | Opponent | Place |
| Wed., Dec. 30 | Missouri State | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Sun., Jan. 3 | at Bradley | Peoria, Ill. |
| Wed., Jan. 6 | Illinois State | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Sat., Jan. 9 | Evansville | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Wed., Jan. 13 | at Indiana State | Terre Haute, Ind. |
| Sun., Jan. 17 | at Southern Illinois | Carbondale, Ill. |
| Wed., Jan. 20 | Bradley | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Sat., Jan. 23 | Valparaiso | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Wed., Jan. 27 | at Missouri State | Springfield, Mo. |
| Sat., Jan. 30 | at Drake | Des Moines, Iowa |
| Wed., Feb. 3 | Indiana State | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Sat., Feb. 6 | Loyola | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Wed., Feb. 10 | at Evansville | Evansville, Ind. |
| Sun. Feb. 14 | Drake | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Wed., Feb. 17 | at Valparaiso | Valparaiso, Ind. |
| Sat., Feb. 20 | at Illinois State | Normal, Ill. |
| Wed., Feb. 24 | Southern Illinois | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Sat., Feb. 27 | Loyola | Chicago, Ill. |
| March 4-7 | MVC Tournament - Arch Madness | St. Louis |
2020-21 UNI Women's Basketball Schedule - Missouri Valley Conference Games
| Date | Opponent | Place |
| Thu., Dec 31 | at Illinois State | Normal, Ill. |
| Sat., Jan. 2 | at Bradley | Peoria, Ill. |
| Thu., Jan. 7 | Valparaiso | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Sat., Jan. 9 | Loyola | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Fri., Jan. 15 | Drake | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Fri., Jan. 22 | at Missouri State | Springfield, Mo. |
| Sun., Jan 24 | at Southern Illinois | Carbondale, Ill. |
| Fri., Jan. 29 | Indiana State | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Sun., Jan. 31 | Evansville | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Fri., Feb. 5 | at Loyola | Chicago, Ill. |
| Sun., Feb. 7 | at Valparaiso | Valparaiso, Ind. |
| Fri., Feb. 12 | at Drake | Des Moines, Iowa |
| Fri., Feb. 19 | Southern Illinois | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Sun., Feb. 21 | Missouri State | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Fri., Feb. 26 | at Evansville | Evansville, Ind. |
| Sun., Feb. 28 | at Indiana State | Terre Haute, Ind. |
| Thu., Mar. 4 | Bradley | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| Sat., Mar. 6 | Illinois State | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
| March 11-14 | Hoops in the Heartland | Moline, Ill. (Quad Cities) |
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