A-10, Mountain West postpone challenge series until next season

Ten teams from each conference will instead play each other in the 2021-22 season.

“The NCAA’s revised college basketball start date that delays the beginning of the 2020-21 season until Nov. 25 creates a strain on programs as they attempt to adjust their non-conference schedules,” the A-10 announced. “Both conferences have numerous teams participating in multi-team events (MTEs) that are now rescheduling dates and locations based on the new NCAA season start date.”

» RECRUITING: Dayton in final three for 2021 forward

The conferences announced the scheduling partnership on Dec. 20, 2018. It remains a two-year agreement with an option to extend the deal for two more seasons.

“We are looking forward to this partnership with the Mountain West Conference. Intentionally stretching our scheduling footprint into four time zones is great for television exposure and brand expansion,” Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade said in a press release in October 2019. “Non-conference games are important and these matchups will be highly competitive, exciting and fun for our fan base.”

The other games postponed were:

Tuesday, Dec. 1: Utah State at Davidson.

Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2020: UNLV at VCU; and St. Bonaventure at New Mexico.

Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020: San Diego State at Saint Louis; George Mason at Fresno State; Boise State at Rhode Island; Air Force at Saint Joseph’s; Richmond at Colorado State; and Duquesne at Wyoming.

» MORE RECRUITING: Dayton offers scholarship to 2021 forward

Massachusetts, La Salle, Fordham and George Washington were the A-10 teams left out of the series that would have been played this season.

More scheduling news: The Holiday Hoopsgiving event, which features a game between Dayton and Mississippi State on Dec. 12 in Atlanta, will be held as scheduled, event organizers announced Friday. However, the event is adding extra games as part of a “bubble concept” between Dec. 10-17.

The other teams scheduled to play Dec. 12 are: Clemson vs. Alabama; LSU vs. South Florida; and Memphis vs. Auburn. Assuming Dayton stays in the bubble, it could play any of those teams in Atlanta.