CEDAR CITY, Utah – Head coach Todd Simon and the SUU Thunderbirds men's basketball team have unveiled their 2016-17 basketball schedule.

The Thunderbird non-conference schedule is highlighted by the MGM Grand Main Event Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas and a home-game, as the Thunderbirds host UNLV on Nov. 30 at 7:00 p.m.  The Thunderbirds schedule will have them tipping off in 12 different states covering over 16,000 miles by air and over 4,200 ground miles.

“Our schedule provides a great challenge for our young team. We will be road-tested to prepare us for Big Sky play," head coach Todd Simon said. "We are very excited to be able to play in the Main Event at such a renowned venue as the MGM Grand Garden Arena. In addition, to have a home game versus such storied program as UNLV is a great opportunity for our program." 

Tipping off their season on Saturday, Oct. 29, with back-to-back home exhibition games, the Thunderbirds will host Master's College followed by La Verne on Nov. 4. The team will then hit the road to take on Valparaiso and St. Louis before returning home to host Bethesda on Nov. 18.

The Thunderbirds will then head to MGM Grand Main Event Basketball Tournament just a couple days before Thanksgiving where they will face Coastal Carolina on Nov. 21 at 3:00 followed by Ball State on the 23rd at 12:30.

Following the MGM Grand Main Event, SUU will return home to host Life Pacific (Nov. 26) and UNLV (Nov. 30) before heading to Michigan on Dec. 3 to play Oakland University. Continuing their road streak, the T-Birds will take a trip to California to take on LMU (Dec. 8) and Cal State Fullerton (Dec. 10) before returning to Cedar City to host IUPUI on Dec. 17.

Launching a five-game road stretch, the T-Birds will round out non-conference play with Seattle University (Dec. 19) and San Jose (Dec. 21) before Big Sky play begins by facing Northern Arizona (Dec. 31), Northern Colorado (Jan. 5), and North Dakota (Jan. 7).

Southern Utah will host a set of Big Sky games with Sacramento State (Jan. 12) and Portland State (Jan. 14) before a duo of road games hit with Idaho (Jan. 19) and Eastern Washington (Jan. 21). The action returns home on Jan. 26 as the T-Birds host North Dakota followed by Northern Colorado (Jan. 28).

Conference road games will continue at Weber State (Feb. 2) and Idaho State (Feb. 4) before hosting Montana (Feb. 9), Montana State (Feb. 11), and Northern Arizona (Feb. 18). For their last road stretch, SUU will head to Portland State (Feb. 23) and Sacramento State (Feb. 25) before rounding out Big Sky play in the Centrum Arena as the Thunderbirds host Eastern Washington (Mar. 2) and Idaho (Mar. 4).

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