By: Dave Collins, Sports Director
Note: This is an evolving story. Check back for updates as we learn more information.
If getting to tip-off proves to be this perplexing all season long, we're in for an unpredictable and frustrating college basketball season.
Chadron State is staying home for Thanksgiving week after all, just days after the exciting announcement that the Eagles had accepted an invitation to play in the Golden Window Classic at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln.
Last Wednesday, CSC announced men's games were scheduled against the Nevada Wolf Pack for Thanksgiving night and the San Francisco Dons on Friday morning the 27th. Now, San Francisco is headed to a new event in Connecticut and Nevada is facing two other schools instead of the Eagles, Nebraska and North Dakota State.
Things started to unravel last Friday when Saint Louis posted on its athletics website that it would stay home and host its own event this week. It included LSU among the field, breaking the news that SLU and the Tigers would be withdrawing from games in Lincoln.
Later Friday, Western Kentucky and San Francisco made it clear they were not coming to Lincoln either. The Dons have picked up four games in Connecticut at the Mohegan Sun Bubbleville Event, and WKU is replacing Creighton at the Bad Boy Mowers event in Sioux Falls, SD.
Heading into the weekend the Golden Window Classic schedule had shattered, leaving tournament organizer Elevate Hoops with Nebraska, Nevada and Chadron State from what was originally billed as a large multi-team event (MTE) with additional schools that have also since dropped out including Northern Iowa and Illinois State.
This morning (Monday) Nevada showed Chadron State on its schedule on a new day and time, Wednesday at Noon (CT) but the Eagles still weren't on any schedule to replace their game Friday with San Francisco.
A fun thought was perhaps the Huskers sliding into that spot against the Eagles since Nebraska's game with USF Saturday was no longer happening.
However, by Monday afternoon a new team was in the field - North Dakota State, and the Eagles were on the outside looking in. NDSU took CSC's place against Nevada Wednesday and the Bison will play the Huskers on Saturday.
Elevate Hoops confirmed the new schedule, which does not include the Eagles mid-Monday.
There may still be a little sliver of hope. It's not confirmed by CSC athletics yet that the men's basketball team will go without any games this week. Because of teams having to cancel or move games because of COVID-19 the schedule is very fluid and in constant flux.
If we get word the Eagles find games over the holiday week we will certainly pass the details along.
Stay tuned...