VIDEO: Mike Mincey Interview

2024-25 Schedule

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – After making appearances in both the South Atlantic Conference and Southeast Regional title games last year, Carson-Newman head coach Mike Mincey unveiled his team's 2024-25 schedule Tuesday monring.

After going an unbeaten 15-0 at home this past season, Mincey's squad will play 13 games in Holt Fieldhouse, 14 on the road and one neutral site contest to complete the 28-game slate.

For the third straight season and 12th time under Mincey, Carson-Newman will visit Rocky Top to challenge the Lady Vols in an exhibition game on Halloween.

"As always we are super appreciative of the opportunity for our program and players to experience that," Mincey said. "Keeping that connection with the Lady Vols program has been really important for us. This will be the fourth different coach we've faced, but we've tried to keep the ties and have spoken highly of us and it's a win win for both teams. We appreciate Coach Kim (Caldwell) for allowing us to continue that relationship with them."

Every season brings a new and unique schedule, and this year is no different. For the 10th time in the past 11 seasons, C-N will face off against Lander and USC Aiken in the SAC/PBC Challenge, with this season's matchups taking place in Greenwood, South Carolina.

The unique nature of the schedule immediately follows. The conference goes back to a round robin format, where 24 of the 28 scheduled contests are conference games, with the first SAC game coming on November 16th at home versus Lenoir-Rhyne. It will serve as the earliest conference game that C-N will have played.

"It's a little bit different, but every game is important," Mincey said. "Conference games, obviously people want to put more emphasis on it, but every game is important. All of our preseason stuff will be super important. It's an interesting dynamic with how it worked out."

The start of that conference slate follows with three straight home games, the only three-game home stretch in Holt Fieldhouse all season.

It's a brutal end to the first semester, as C-N hits the road in five of its final six games before the start of a new calendar year. Two of those five road matchups are against NCAA Tournament teams from this past season with Anderson two days after Thanksgiving and Catawba on December 14th.

"I want to have a tough schedule," Mincey said. "You try to make it as tough as possible, certainly when you play in a really good league. Anytime you go on the road it's always difficult. We've been good on the road in the past, but these last two years have not been our best. You have to have a mentality to go on the road and play well. Certainly, the way the schedule plays out, it's going to tell us a lot before we go into our Christmas break."

Carson-Newman's two other non-conference games will come ten days apart over the Holiday break, against two teams that missed our on the NCAA Tournament this past season. The first is a trip to North Georgia on December 21st, followed by a New Year's Day tilt with Glenville State in Holt Fieldhouse. It will be the first time ever that the program plays on the first day of a new calendar year.

After the New Year's Day matchup, the rest of the slate is conference games. C-N makes trips to Coker, Newberry and Mars Hill, with the first two road games coming on Saturdays. The Eagles will play as host to Lincoln Memorial, UVA Wise, Wingate and Anderson in January as well. Three of the final four games in January are in Holt Fieldhouse.

February starts on the road at Lenoir-Rhyne, before home contests with Mars Hill and Newberry on Feb 5 and 8th. That leads into the final five games of the season, three of which will be on the road against Tusculum, Wingate and Lincoln Memorial to close out the round robin conference slate.

"Our conference is strong," Mincey said. "Four other teams made the tournament with us and you get them twice. Playing everyone in a good league twice will ultimately help your strength of schedule, as long as everyone plays up to their potential. You are going to get a true champion during the regular season and in our conference tournament because everybody has to play everybody at their home facility."

The four-day long SAC Basketball Tournament begins March 4-7, with games played at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center.

All games can be heard on 105.5 THE MIX (WSEV-FM Sevierville) with coverage starting 15 minutes prior to tip-off on the Eagle Sports Network with "The Appalachian Electric Cooperative Countdown to Tip-Off". Each contest during the year can also be seen through FloSports with a subscription.