September 18, 2007 - 2007-08 TENTATIVE Schedule Announced

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September 18, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Men’s College Basketball
Rider Announces Schedule

LAWRENCEVILLE—Six nationally televised games highlight the 2007-08 Rider University men’s basketball schedule, which begins November 10 in Kentucky at Murray State.

“We are extremely excited about this year’s schedule,” said Tommy Dempsey, the former interim coach who begins his second season as the Bronc head coach with a 16-15 record. “The national television exposure is tremendous for our basketball program, Rider University, and the MAAC.”

The schedule features the nationally televised Old Spice Classic in Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex, beginning with a 2:00 pm Thanksgiving Day game against North Carolina State.

In addition to the three nationally televised games at Disney, the non-conference opponents include Murray State, Drexel, Delaware, Binghamton and New Jersey rivals Rutgers, Fairleigh Dickinson, Monmouth and NJIT.

“Our schedule includes some programs that we have had some great games against over the years,” Dempsey said, “as well as an opportunity to play five of the other seven Division I programs in New Jersey.”

The home opener weekend is November 17-19 when Rider hosts Delaware Saturday afternoon and Fairleigh Dickinson Monday evening before heading to Disney. Along with NC State the Old Spice Classic field includes Central Florida, George Mason, Kansas State, Penn State, South Carolina and Villanova.

Rider begins the all-important Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference portion of the schedule in Western New York in early December at Niagara and Canisius. The MAAC schedule is highlighted by an ESPN2 game at Siena to start off February.

“We expect the MAAC to be a very strong league this year so we felt it was important to challenge ourselves early in the season,” Dempsey said. “When you play against really good programs you learn a lot about yourselves.”

For the third consecutive season Rider will take part in ESPN’s BracketBuster in February.

The MAAC schedule concludes with a pair of home games, including Saint Peter’s February 29 when ESPNU comes to the Broncs’ Zoo.  The MAAC tournament moves back to Albany, NY March 7-10.

-RU-