Men’s Basketball Slated for Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase – College of Charleston Athletics

CHARLESTON, S.C. –

The College of Charleston men’s basketball team will open the 2024 campaign at the Field of 68 Opening Day Showcase in Sioux Falls, South Dakota against Southern Illinois. The Cougars and Salukis will tip-off on November 4 at 12:00 p.m. est at the Sanford Pentagon. The contest is the first of a three-game slate and will be followed by Saint Louis vs. Santa Clara and McNeese State vs. South Dakota State.

Excitement in the Air

“We are certainly excited to open up the college basketball season on the first day of allowed competition. Southern Illinois has a great history in the sport as do we so what an honor it will be to take the floor at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls,” said Cougars head coach Chris Mack. “We cannot wait to get going and are thankful for the Field of 68 bringing this Showcase together.”

“This is something we felt as though we needed because of how difficult it is for all of us to schedule quality opponents. It gives us a neutral site opportunity against a high-quality Quad 1 or Quad 2 opponent,” said Charleston Director of Athletics Matt Roberts. “I’m really hoping this spurs others to follow and join us in the future.”

First-Time Encounters

This will be the first all-time meeting between the programs, the first of the Chris Mack era of Charleston basketball, and the first of the Scott Nagy era at Southern Illinois. It will also be the first time the Cougars have opened the season on the road since 2020 at North Carolina.

New Platform for Coverage

“We are honored to be involved in this event, which has some of the elite programs in the country that exist outside the sport’s traditional power structure,” Field of 68 founder Rob Dauster said. “This is a great opportunity for us to be able to provide more coverage for these teams that frankly don’t get enough. What we do at the Field of 68 is try and give teams at all levels the coverage they deserve.”

Broadcast and Ticket Information

The games will be broadcast on The Field of 68’s YouTube Channel and X feeds, and the network’s popular After Dark show will go live from the floor of the Sanford Pentagon at 11 p.m. ET. The times of the games will be released later. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. CT, August 1 at ticketmaster.com