Northern Illinois men’s basketball to start season with 2 a.m. game
New men’s basketball coach Matt Majkrzak will make a unique debut for Northern Illinois.
The Huskies will open the season against Grambling at 2 a.m. Central time on Nov. 2 as part of a 24-hour opening-day marathon.
The Field of 68 media network announced the schedule Tuesday for the event, which features eight games played in Rock Hill, S.C., and Sioux Falls, S.D., and streamed on the outlet’s YouTube channel and X feed. The marathon begins at 11 p.m. CT on Nov. 1.
The Huskies will play the second game of the slate in Rock Hill.
Majkrzak, whom NIU hired in March from Northern Michigan, said in a release that the opener will be “awesome” and that he grew up watching a previous version of the opening-day tipoff classic.
“I think starting at 3 a.m. (ET) is something our guys will never forget,” he said. “You always have some nerves going into the first game, but add in that it’s at 3 a.m., it’s going to be a lot of fun. Excited about the opportunity to start right away and not have to sit around all day waiting for the first game.”
Here’s the full schedule for the marathon (all times are Central).
Rock Hill, S.C.
- High Point vs. Liberty, 11 p.m.
- Grambling vs. Northern Illinois, 2 a.m.
- Appalachian State vs Merrimack, 5 a.m.
- Queens vs. Winthrop, 8 a.m.
Sioux Falls, S.D.
- Murray State vs. Tennessee State, 10:30 a.m.
- UTEP vs. Northern Kentucky, 1 p.m.
Rock Hill, S.C.
- UAB vs. McNeese State, 4:30 p.m.
- Furman vs. Bethune-Cookman, 7 p.m.