Like every other college basketball program this year, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s process of putting together a schedule didn’t come without its struggles.
When the NCAA announced it would push back the start date of the 2020-21 season to Nov. 25 due to the coronavirus pandemic, UTC men’s coach Lamont Paris and the Mocs lost some games as they reworked their schedule, including a Nov. 24 matchup at Big Ten member Iowa that was reported by the Athletic in late May.
The revised 27-game schedule will tip off Nov. 25 – the day before Thanksgiving – as Bellarmine visits McKenzie Arena for a 2 p.m. tipoff. There will be no exhibitions this year per NCAA alterations, and the Mocs are set to play five games in the first two weeks of the season, then three more times before entering Southern Conference play on Dec. 30 at home against Furman.
“It was a very challenging process,” Paris, who is about to begin his fourth season leading the Mocs, said in a UTC release. “One thing that helped us along was not being in a multiteam event this year. That gave us a little more flexibility not having to wait to see if it was going to be played or if it would change venues or if the opponents in the tournament would change.
“That process was still difficult trying to find dates and determine if a certain contract would be honored or if guaranteed money would stay the same. We moved a date or two, but it was a pretty seamless transition.”