Northern Michigan University junior guard Alec Fruin, left, looks to advance the ball during the Wildcats' GLIAC men's basketball game against Ashland at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Thursday night, Jan. 2, 2020. (Journal photo by Ryan Spitza)

By Journal Sports Staff

MARQUETTE — The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference has put the basics of a schedule for its men’s and women’s basketball teams this winter.

There will be a number of differences from a typical season. The league won’t begin league play until a week into January and teams will only play 10 games.

NMU stated in its release that it may add an unspecified number of nonconference games in December.

One other noticeable change is that men’s and women’s teams won’t travel together; instead, while a men’s team will be at home, the women’s team will be on the road against the same opponent, the same when the men are away the women will be at home.

The league hasn’t scheduled specific dates for games, instead giving three- or four-day ranges to fit games in when they work best for the schools involved.

For example, the Wildcats open the season against Wisconsin-Parkside between Thursday and Sunday, Jan. 7-10, the men at home and women at Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Because of these ranges, teams will generally not play two games in three days as has been done in the past.

One exception may end up being games involving Michigan Tech, which have been slotted between these multiple-day ranges and could re-create the scenario of two games in three days.

Northern and Tech have already nailed down dates for their games — the NMU men host and Wildcat women travel to Houghton on Tuesday, Jan. 26, then the Northern men go to the Copper Country and NMU women remain at the Berry Events Center on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

No mention was made of game times, nor the possibility of no fans or a limited number at games.

Here is a list of NMU’s games, with date, opponent and where the men’s and women’s teams will be. Michigan Tech games will be played on Tuesdays, while the range of dates for all other matchups is Thursday through Sunday, except for the final weekend of the season, which is Thursday through Saturday:

Jan. 7-10, Wisconsin-Parkside, women away, men home

Jan. 14-17, Saginaw Valley State, women home, men away

Jan. 21-24, Ferris State, women home, men away

Jan. 26, Michigan Tech, women away, men home

Jan. 28-31, Lake Superior State, women away, men home

Feb. 4-7, Northwood, women away, men home

Feb. 11-14, Grand Valley State, women home, men away

Feb. 16, Michigan Tech, women home, men away

Feb. 18-21, Davenport, women away, men home

Feb. 25-27, Purdue Northwest, women home, men away

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.