Wichita State’s 2020-21 basketball schedule now finalized with release of AAC games
The American Athletic Conference released its men’s basketball schedule on Friday afternoon, which in turn finalized the dates of the 27 games Wichita State will play in the 2020-21 season.
The Shockers will open AAC play on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at Tulsa and play their first conference game at Koch Arena on Dec. 30 against East Carolina, although no fans will be allowed at home WSU games through December.
If COVID-19 cases in the Wichita area start to tick down in December and the Sedgwick County Health Team lifts its restrictions, the first game to feature Shocker fans in attendance could be a Wednesday, Jan. 9 game against Cincinnati.
After playing an 18-game conference schedule and only playing certain teams twice since joining the AAC in the 2017-18 season, WSU will play every team in the conference at home and on the road in a 20-game, round-robin schedule this season. The AAC decided to change its schedule because it now has 11 teams following Connecticut’s departure this summer to join the Big East.
No game times or television information was released on Friday. According to the AAC press release, those will be released at a later date and game dates could potentially be changed as television assignments are procured.
The 2020-21 season is the AAC’s first under its 12-year media rights extension with ESPN, which means a minimum of 60 conference-controlled games will be televised on either ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU or ABC and a minimum of 23 total games will be on either ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC.
The AAC estimates that 50% of its conference slate will be broadcast on either CBS, ESPN, ESPN2 or ESPNU. The remaining games will be broadcast on ESPN+, which is ESPN’s streaming service that is available for $5.99 per month or $49.99 per year.
The home conference games for WSU are: Dec. 30 vs. East Carolina; Jan. 9 vs. Cincinnati; Jan. 13 vs. Tulsa; Jan. 24 vs. South Florida; Jan. 30 vs. Central Florida; Feb. 3 vs. Tulane; Feb. 7 vs. Temple; Feb. 18 vs. Memphis; Feb. 25 vs. Houston; Feb. 28 vs. SMU.
According to two sources with direct knowledge of the situation, WSU will move its game against Oklahoma State, originally scheduled at Intrust Bank Arena, to Koch Arena because there will be no fans in attendance. It will not affect the agreement between the two schools for OSU’s return trip in 2022, when WSU can again host the Cowboys at Koch Arena.
The WSU women’s basketball team also discovered its conference schedule, as the Shockers will open conference play on Wednesday, Dec. 16 at Tulsa and play its home-opener at Koch Arena — without fans — on Wednesday, Dec. 23 against SMU.
2020-21 WSU men’s basketball schedule
Wednesday, Nov. 25 — vs. Utah State, 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2 (Crossover Classic in Sioux Falls, South Dakota)
Thursday, Nov. 26 — vs. TBD, 1:30 or 6:30 p.m. on ESPN/ESPN2 (Crossover Classic)
Friday, Nov. 27 — vs. TBD (Crossover Classic)
Wednesday, Dec. 2 — Oral Roberts (no fans)
Sunday, Dec. 6 — Missouri (no fans)
Saturday, Dec. 12 — Oklahoma State (no fans)
Tuesday, Dec. 15 — at Tulsa
Tuesday, Dec. 22 — at South Florida
Wednesday, Dec. 30 — East Carolina (no fans)
Saturday, Jan. 2 — at Mississippi
Wednesday, Jan. 6 — at Houston
Saturday, Jan. 9 — Cincinnati
Wednesday, Jan. 13 — Tulsa
Sunday, Jan. 17 — at SMU
Thursday, Jan. 21 — at Memphis
Sunday, Jan. 24 — South Florida
Wednesday, Jan. 27 — at Cincinnati
Saturday, Jan. 30 — Central Florida
Wednesday, Feb. 3 — Tulane
Sunday, Feb. 7 — Temple
Wednesday, Feb. 10 — at Central Florida
Thursday, Feb. 18 — Memphis
Sunday, Feb. 21 — at East Carolina
Thursday, Feb. 25 — Houston
Sunday, Feb. 28 — SMU
Wednesday, March 3 — at Tulane
Saturday, March 6 — at Temple
WSU women’s basketball schedule
Friday, Nov. 27 — Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (no fans)
Monday, Nov. 30 — Alcorn State (no fans)
Friday, Dec. 4 — Southern (no fans)
Sunday, Dec. 6 — Northern Iowa (no fans)
Thursday, Dec. 10 — South Dakota (no fans)
Wednesday, Dec. 16 — at Tulsa
Saturday, Dec. 19 — at Tulane
Wednesday, Dec. 23 — SMU (no fans)
Wednesday, Dec. 30 — at Houston
Saturday, Jan. 2 — Cincinnati
Wednesday, Jan. 6 — at South Florida
Saturday, Jan. 9 — East Carolina
Wednesday, Jan. 13 — at Memphis
Wednesday, Jan. 20 — South Florida
Saturday, Jan. 23 — at Temple
Wednesday, Jan. 27 — at Cincinnati
Saturday, Jan. 30 — Central Florida
Wednesday, Feb. 3 — Tulane
Saturday, Feb. 6 — Temple
Wednesday, Feb. 10 — at Central Florida
Wednesday, Feb. 17 — Memphis
Saturday, Feb. 20 — at East Carolina
Wednesday, Feb. 24 — Houston
Saturday, Feb. 27 — at SMU
Tuesday, March 2 — Tulsa
This story was originally published November 20, 2020 at 3:15 PM.
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