New Format Unveiled For GLIAC Hoops Schedule

Big Rapids, Mich. - A new scheduling format has been unveiled for the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (GLIAC) upcoming men's and women's basketball campaign.

The league office recently announced that for the 2010-11 basketball season, the men’s teams will play the first game of a doubleheader and the women’s teams the second game whenever both teams are playing on the same day or night in the same venue.  

Meanwhile, the scenario will be reversed the following year with the women’s teams playing the first game and the men’s teams the second game in 2011-12.

The arrangement, in which all league schools have agreed, is expected to continue with the men's team's playing the first game for a whole season and the women playing the first game the following season in 2012-13 and beyond.

"We believe the changes to be implemented beginning in the 2010-11 academic year will ensure that both our women’s and men’s basketball teams will have an equal opportunity to play the second game of our doubleheaders," said GLIAC Commissioner Dell Robinson.

Conference teams will still maintain the flexibility they've had in the past in regards to starting times for their home contests.

Along with the time format change, the conference will also now play a 19-game schedule this coming year instead of the previous 22-game format due to the additon of two new schools in Lake Erie and Ohio Dominican joining the league.

Each men's and women's league team will play the opponents' in their respective division (North or South) twice and face the teams from the opposite division once during the year.

The GLIAC Tournament will remain on campus sites with the quarterfinal-round scheduled for March 1 and the semifinals/finals held on March 4-5, 2011.

The Ferris State women's basketball squad is tentatively slated to tip off the 2010-11 campaign by hosting a pair of games versus Edinboro (Pa.) and Gannon (Pa.) on Nov. 20-21 at Jim Wink Arena.

Meanwhile, the FSU men's team is expected to host St. Joseph's (Ind.) in its season opener on Nov. 15 in Big Rapids.

Tentative Bulldog men's and women's basketball schedules for the 2010-11 season can be found at the links below.  Times and dates are subject to change.

Men's Basketball Schedule
Women's Basketball Schedule

Note: The GLIAC also announced the appointment of Rob Doss as women's basketball supervisor of officials along with Bill Ek as the supervisor of men's basketball officials for the 2010-11 campaign.