Nov. 9, 2012

NEWPORT NEWS, Va.--The Atlantic 10 Conference opens its 37th season of men's basketball tonight with nine games on the docket, seven of which are home openers for the A-10 teams.

Three of the games are televised regionally or locally:

Fairleigh Dickinson at Xavier | 7:00 pm | FOX Sports Ohio
Norfolk State at Rhode Island (Hall of Fame Tip-off Classic) | 7:30 pm | Ocean State Networks
Florida Gulf Coast at VCU | 7:30 pm | CBS 6.3

This season is set up to be a historic one for the league, which will feature 16 teams after the summer addition of Butler and VCU. Four of those teams, including the two newcomers, have received votes in the AP and ESPN/USA TODAY Coaches Polls. Saint Louis and Saint Joseph's join the Bulldogs and Rams in both polls.

Saint Joseph's was the preseason favorite among the A-10 coaches and media, highlighted by the return of five starters and a strong bench. Saint Louis, which returns four starters, was also a preseason darling, finishing just two points behind the Hawks in the voting. In all, six teams recieved first-place votes, adding perrenial power Temple and resurgent Massachusetts to the aforementioned vote-getters.

The Atlantic 10 will be building off of a 2011-12 season that saw a record-tying eight league teams earn a postseason bid. St. Bonaventure, the defending conference champion, Saint Louis, Temple and Xavier all went to the NCAAs with Xavier advancing to the Sweet 16 and Saint Louis coming just short of knocking off No. 1 Michigan State - a win that would have earned a Regional trip. Dayton, La Salle, UMass and Saint Joseph's each earned an NIT bit. The Minutemen made a run, winning three road games to reach the NIT Semifinals at Madison Square Garden.

The A-10 has been busy on other fronts in preparing for this season as well. The championship will play the first of a five-year agreement at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., the NBA's newest arena. Bolstered by all the positives, the confernece also announced that there will be a record 213 televised men's basketball games involving Atlantic 10 members during the 2012-13 regular season and conference tournament. This includes a 75-game A-10 television package.

Charlotte will tip-off the A-10 season tonight when it hosts Charleston Southern. Quick capsules of each game are listed below:

CHARLESTON SOUTHERN Buccneers (0-0) at CHARLOTTE 49ers (0-0)
6:00 pm | Halton Arena
Series: Charlotte leads 7-0
A-10 vs. Big South: 0-0
Gamenote: Charlotte is 32-15 overall in season openers and 34-13 in their first home game of the season.

DUQUESNE Dukes (0-0) at ALBANY Great Danes (0-0)
6:30 pm | SEFCU Arena
Series: Duquesne leads 1-0
A-10 vs. America East: 0-0
Gamenote: DU opens on the road for just the 12th time in school history and enters its first season under coach Jim Ferry.

BETHUNE COOKMAN Wildcats (0-0) at ST. BONAVENTURE Bonnies (0-0)
7:00 pm | Reilly Center
Series: First Meeting
A-10 vs. MEAC: 0-0
Gamenote: Bona, which is 42-3 in home openers,  will begin 2012-13 by unveiling banners from its 2012 A-10 Championship.

LIBERTY Flames (0-0) at RICHMOND Spiders (0-0)
7:00 pm | Robins Center
Series: Richmond leads 2-0
A-10 vs. Big South: 0-0
Gamenote: UR opens its 100th year of basketball with just the third meeting between the two Virginia schools.

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON Knights (0-0) at XAVIER Musketeers (0-0)
7:00 pm | Cintas Center | TV: FOX Sports Ohio
Series: First Meeting
A-10 vs. Northeast: 0-0
Gamenote: Xavier has won 22 straight regular season openers, including all 12 of its season openers at Cintas Center.

NORFOLK STATE Spartans (0-0) at RHODE ISLAND Rams (0-0)
7:30 pm | Ryan Center | TV: Ocean State Networks
Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic
Series: First Meeting
A-10 vs. MEAC: 0-0
Gamenote: New coach Dan Hurley now leads Rhody, which is 84-22 in season openers, including winning eight of the last 10.

FLORIDA GULF COAST Eagles (0-0) at (RV) VCURams (0-0)
7:30 pm | Seigel Center | TV: CBS 6.3
Series: First Meeting
A-10 vs. Atlantic Sun: 0-0
Gamenote: VCU opens its first-ever season in the Atlantic 10 with a first-ever meeting against the Eagles.

USC UPSTATE Spartans (0-0) at (RV) SAINT LOUIS Billikens (0-0)
8:00 pm | Chaifetz Arena
CBE Classic
Series: Saint Louis leads 1-0
A-10 vs. Atlantic Sun: 0-0
Gamenote: SLU begins the season under interim coach Jim Crews during Rick Majerus' season-long leave of abscence.

FORDHAM Rams (0-0) at TEXAS STATE Bobcats (0-0)
8:00 pm | Strahan Coliseum
Series: 1-0
A-10 vs. WAC: 0-0
Gamenote: Chris Gaston had a career-high 35 points and 15 rebounds versus the Bobcats, who moved to the WAC this year.