Iona College men’s basketball head coach Rick Pitino announced the completion of the program’s 2021-22 schedule. In addition to 11 non-conference games, the Gaels play 20 MAAC games and host two preseason events at the Hynes Center.
With most of the schedule already revealed, the final three contests include two more games at the HP FieldHouse at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, and a game at the brand-new UBS Arena in Elmont, New York, located at Belmont Park on the Nassau/Queens border.
Non-Conference Schedule At a Glance
Among the 11 non-conference games, Iona hosts three home games and plays eight contests on a neutral floor. The Gaels will not have a true road game outside of MAAC play this season.
- No true road games in non-conference portion and six of 11 games in the New York Metropolitan area.
- Contests at all three major New York City arenas (Barclays, MSG, UBS).
- Six scheduled, or potential opponents appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2021 including Appalachian State, Liberty, Alabama, Drake, Kansas and North Texas.
- The Big East and Metro Area rival Seton Hall.
- Top Ivy League opponents Harvard and Yale and local-rival Hofstra.
- Of the 14 scheduled or potential opponents, nine finished within the Top 100 of the NCAA NET rankings in their last season of competition (Harvard and Yale did not compete in 2020-21).
NYC Arena Tour This Season for Iona
Iona’s final contests in its non-conference slate features games in each of the New York City’s three major arenas including the Barclays Center, Madison Square Garden and the new UBS Arena, opening this fall as the new home of the NHL’s Islanders.
Following a nine-day layoff, the Gaels are back in action in Brooklyn at The Barclays Center on December 12, when they take on Yale. The matchup is part of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame quadruple header, which also features Florida vs. Maryland, Purdue vs. NC State and Fordham vs. Miami.
The following Saturday (December 18) the Maroon & Gold takes on Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden as part of the 2021 Gotham Classic. The doubleheader at the World’s Most Famous Arena also includes a matchup between Pitt and St. John’s.
In its final non-conference tilt, Iona hosts the University of Delaware at UBS Arena on December 21. The Gaels are proud to take part in the inaugural season at Belmont Park as the lone game of the day tips off at 7:30 p.m.
