STARKVILLE — The first game as a Division I head men’s basketball coach will not be in a friendly environment for Mississippi State University’s newest hire.
Rick Ray and the MSU program announced Monday they will help open the 6,000-seat Trojan Arena at Troy University on Nov. 9 in a rare sight for a major program to embark on.
“I do know we are opening the schedule at Troy and I don’t know how many BCS programs would be willing to open the season away from home in an environment like that,” Ray said in an interview with The Dispatch in May.
The contest with Troy, who MSU holds an 8-0 all-time record against, is the first time the Bulldogs will open up the season in a true road game since a 2000-01 loss at University of California in the first round of the Preseason National Invitational Tournament.
Ray will not be introduced at home in a regular season game for another four days when MSU faces Florida Atlantic University and Mike Jarvis’ program in Starkville for the third straight season. However, MSU has to be aware of facing the Owls in a opening round game of major tournament after losing a game two years ago before heading to New York City to eventually win the 2K Classic.
“Looking at the schedule, there’s no question it’s going to be challenging,” Ray said in a university statement Monday. “We play a lot of games early on the road, but I think that will present an invaluable opportunity for this team to bond and will help us prepare for Southeastern Conference play.”
After the contest against FAU, the Bulldogs will make its debut appearance in the Maui Invitational event by facing a revamped but likely Top 20-ranked powerhouse in the University of North Carolina.
The other high-profile non-conference game will be MSU’s return road game in the SEC/Big East Challenge when they fly to Rhode Island to face Providence College on Dec. 1. After that contest, MSU will have played in three different time zones before the end of the first month of the season.
The Bulldogs have only five non-conference games at Humphrey Coliseum and two in the month of December.
“Our roster features a lot of new faces, and this type of non-conference schedule will give them the chance early to see what college basketball is all about,” Ray said.
Following the exam break, MSU will be on the road again when they head to Chicago on Dec. 15 to face Loyola University to commemorate the 50-year anniversary of the schools’ historic showdown in the 1963 NCAA Tournament.
According to MSU officials, the new 18-game SEC slate will be announced in around two weeks with the only guarantee being the Bulldogs permanent home-and-home opponent being the University of Mississippi
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