GREENSBORO — On Tuesday, the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) released each men’s basketball team’s conference opponents without game dates. Meanwhile, The North Carolina A&T men released its non-conference schedule on Tuesday.
The Aggies conference schedule includes 18 games, and their non-conference schedule consists of 13. A&T is under the new leadership of head coach Montè Ross, who took over the program on April 10, 2023. He has experience coaching in the CAA after the University of Delaware Hens for 11 seasons. Ross is taking over a program that went 13-19 overall and 8-10 in the conference.
“We have put together a very challenging non-conference schedule that will surely prepare us for the rigors of the CAA. As difficult as the schedule may be, I firmly believe our young men want to test themselves against the best in the country, and a big test it will be. We will need all of the support of Aggies everywhere to encourage and uplift our student-athletes during these games.”
A&T will hold two closed preseason scrimmages: one against Presbyterian and another against Winston-Salem State on Oct. 28. Ross played basketball at Winston-Salem State for Clarence “Big House” Gaines.
Two of A&T’s first three games are against ACC opponents. The Aggies open on Nov. 6 against the Pitt Panthers, an NCAA tournament team from a year ago led by Jeff Capel III, son of former A&T head coach the late Jeff Capel, Jr.
North Carolina A&T will then head to the Greensboro Coliseum to face Division I Gate City rival UNC Greensboro on Nov. 10. A&T broke their five-game losing streak to Spartans last season with their 73-56 win at Corbett Sports Center. It’s back to the ACC on Nov. 14 when the Aggies travel to Charlottesville, Va., to face the Wahoos of Virginia, a perennial NCAA tournament team that won the national championship in 2019.
After their run through the ACC, the Aggies will play in a three-game tournament at the University of Samford, Nov. 22-25. The Aggies will play Merrimack (Nov. 22), Alabama State (Nov. 24) and Samford (Nov. 25). A&T’s home opener is Dec. 2 against The Citadel (Dec. 2) before the Aggies face rival North Carolina Central University (NCCU) at home on Dec. 12 and Cheyney on Dec. 21.
The Aggies will go on the road to face High Point University (HPU) on Dec. 8 and George Mason on Dec. 30. A&T will also return to Las Vegas to play in the CP3 Challenge hosted by NBA legend Chris Paul, Dec. 16-17. The Aggies face Texas Southern on Dec. 16 and Jackson State on Dec. 17.
Conference games will soon follow after the George Mason contest as the Aggies will play Campbell, Delaware, Drexel, Elon, Hampton, Hofstra, Northeastern, Towson and William & Mary at home. They will face Campbell, College of Charleston, Delaware, Drexel, Elon, Hampton, Monmouth, UNC Wilmington and Stony Brook on the road. The conference deemed Elon and Hampton as A&T’s permanent opponents each season.
The CAA will release the dates of the game later.
North Carolina A&T is located on the east side of Greensboro, N.C., where many innovative and economic impacts occur for the entire city. North Carolina A&T Athletics embraces the principles of competitive excellence, sportsmanship, diversity, ethical conduct, and amateurism while facilitating the academic objectives of the student-athletes; the department complies with all conference and association rules and regulations and ensures equal opportunity and access for all students and staff who desire to associate with intercollegiate athletics without regard for race, color, national origin, gender, age, disability, or religion.