The University of Massachusetts released the 2005-06 men’s basketball schedule on Tuesday. Under new coach Travis Ford, the Minutemen will take some of the nation’s top teams including 17 games against teams that played in the NCAA or NIT Tournaments over the last two years. UMass faces teams from the ACC, Big East, Conference USA in addition to a very challenging schedule in the Atlantic 10. At the time of release at least eight UMass games will be televised (with more to be added soon) including three national broadcasts against Connecticut (Dec. 8), Temple (Jan. 21) and Florida State (Feb. 12).

“We are ready to take on an extremely challenging schedule,” said Ford. “The non-conference schedule is filled with tough games on the road including Boston College and Florida State of the ACC and Connecticut of the Big East. The home schedule features the Atlantic 10 teams with the richest basketball history such as Temple, Saint Joseph’s, Xavier, Dayton and Charlotte. We think our fans will be very excited that the top teams in our conference will be coming to the Mullins Center, especially late in the year when they can support us.”

Tickets are now on sale by calling 1-866-UMASS-TIX.

UMass takes on seven teams in ESPN’s Preseason Top 50: Connecticut, Boston College, Florida State, George Washington, Charlotte, Xavier and UAB.

UMass opens the 2005-06 schedule with an exhibition game against Division II Dowling (N.Y.) on Nov. 10. The regular-season opener is set for Friday, Nov. 18 against Hartford at 7 p.m. Following a road game at 2005 NIT team Davidson on Nov. 22, UMass returns to the Commonwalth to take on 2005 NCAA Second-Round team UAB on Nov. 25 in the Tip-Off Classic at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. The Minutemen play Savannah State on Nov. 28 at the Mullins Center before a nice stretch off to prepare for the annual UConn game. After last year’s stunning upset at the Mullins Center, UMass will take on the Huskies at the Hartford Civic Center on Dec. 8 in a game televised on ESPN2. That will be followed by back-to-back home games with Boston University on Dec. 12 and Siena on Dec. 23.

The Minutemen travel to New York City for the Panasonic Holiday Festival hosted by St. John’s at Madison Square Garden, the “World’s Most Famous Arena.” UMass will play St. Peter’s on Dec. 27 and will take on either St. John’s or Columbia on Dec. 28. Prior to the start of the conference slate, UMass travel accross Massachusetts to take on rival Boston College on Jan. 3.

The conference schedule opens on the road at Duquesne on Jan. 7 in the first of four games to be televised as part of the A-10 Television package. UMass returns home to host 2005 NIT Finalist Saint Joseph’s on Jan. 11. The Minutemen head to Saint Louis to face the Billikens on Jan. 14 for the first time since the 1998 NCAA Tournament. UMass returns home for a pair of home games vs. Fordham on Jan. 18 and Temple on Jan. 21, in a game that will broadcast nationally on ESPN.

The Minutemen play six of their next eight games on the road starting with a trio away from home, at Rhode Island on Jan. 25, at La Salle on Jan. 29 and at Temple on Feb. 1. After a pair of home games vs. Rhode Island on Feb. 4 and La Salle on Feb. 8, its back to the road as UMass travels up the East Coast from the South. UMass returns a trip to Florida State to take on the Seminoles on Feb. 12 in a nationally televised game on FOX Sports Net followed by a game at 2005 Atlantic 10 Champion and NCAA team George Washington on Feb. 15. The road trip finished with a game at St. Bonacenture on Feb. 19.

UMass closes the season with three of four games at home against some of the top teams in the conference taking on league newcomer and preseason favorite Charlotte on Feb. 22 along with Dayton on Feb. 25. After a road game at Richmond on March 1, UMass finishes the regular-season against Xavier on March 4 at the Mullins Center.

The 2006 Atlantic 10 Basketball Championships will be held at the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati for the second year in a row beginning on March 8 and running through March 11.

2005-06 UMass Men’s Basketball Schedule

Thursday    Nov. 10    DOWLING (Exhibition)    Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)
Friday    Nov. 18    HARTFORD    Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)
Tuesday    Nov. 22    at Davidson    Davidson, N.C. (Belk Arena)
Friday    Nov. 25    vs. Ala-Birmingham    Springfield, Mass. (MassMutual Center)
Monday    Nov. 28    SAVANNAH STATE    Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)
Thursday    Dec. 8    at Connecticut    Hartford, Conn. (Hartford Civic Center)
Monday    Dec. 12    BOSTON UNIVERSITY    Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)
Friday    Dec. 23    SIENA    Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)        7:00 p.m.
Tuesday    Dec. 27    vs. St. Peter’s    New York, N.Y. (Madison Square Garden)
Wednesday    Dec. 28    vs. St. John’s/Columbia    New York, N.Y. (MSG)
Tuesday    Jan. 3    at Boston College    Chestnut Hill, Mass. Conte Forum)
Saturday    Jan. 7    at Duquesne*    Pittsburgh, Pa. (Palumbo Center)
Wednesday    Jan. 11    SAINT JOSEPH’S*    Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)
Saturday    Jan. 14    at Saint Louis*    St. Charles, Mo. (St. Charles Family Arena)
Wednesday    Jan. 18    FORDHAM*    Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)
Saturday    Jan. 21    TEMPLE*    Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)
Wednesday    Jan. 25    at Rhode Island*    Kingston, R.I. (Ryan Center)
Sunday    Jan. 29    at LaSalle*    Philadelphia, Pa. (Tom Gola Arena)
Wednesday    Feb. 1    at Temple*    Philadelphia, Pa. (Licouras Center)
Saturday    Feb. 4    RHODE ISLAND*    Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)
Wednesday    Feb. 8    La SALLE*    Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)
Sunday    Feb. 12    at Florida State    Tallahasse, Fla. (Donald L. Tucker Center)
Wednesday    Feb. 15    at George Washington*    Washington, D.C.
Sunday    Feb. 19    at St. Bonaventure*    St. Bonaventure, N.Y. (Reilly Center)
Wednesday    Feb. 22    CHARLOTTE*    Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)  
Saturday    Feb. 25    DAYTON*    Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)  
Wednesday    Mar. 1    at Richmond*    Richmond, Va. (Robins Center)
Saturday    Mar. 4    XAVIER*    Amherst, Mass. (Mullins Center)    A-10 TV