Big West announces conference schedule; no fans allowed to attend for now
The Big West Conference revealed a modified regular-season basketball schedule that features teams playing each other on back-to-back nights at the same location.
Previous years featured home-and-home series, but this year’s schedule was modified due to travel concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Each Big West team – including the University of Hawai’i – will play 20 regular-season conference games. Ten games will be at home, but against five opponents. Ten games will be on the road, but against five opponents. Two teams were added to the Big West for this season: Cal State Bakersfield and UC San Diego.
Here is the schedule for the Rainbow Warriors (home games in CAPS):
December 27 and 28: CAL POLY
January 8 and 9: at UC Riverside
January 15 and 16: CSU BAKERSFIELD
January 22 and 23: at Cal State Fullerton
January 29 and 30: UC IRVINE
February 5 and 6: at UC San Diego
February 12 and 13: UC SANTA BARBARA
February 19 and 20: at CSUN
February 26 and 27: LONG BEACH STATE
March 5 and 6: at UC Davis
March 10-13: at Big West Conference Tournament (Anaheim, Calif.)
It is worth noting that Hawai’i is scheduled to make five separate trips to California. In essence, the Warriors will be flying back-and-forth between Honolulu and California every other week from January 8 through March 6.
It was not announced whether or not everyone in the UH travel party has to receive COVID-19 tests prior to returning to Honolulu for each respective trip. Likewise, it was also not announced if every team traveling to Honolulu for games needs to provide COVID-19 test results.
However, the Big West Conference announcement states that the schedule is “subject to any necessary state and local approvals.”
Current state of Hawai’i regulations require all incoming residents and visitors to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test that is taken within 72 hours prior to the departure flight to Hawai’i. If proof of the test is not provided, the traveler is supposed to quarantine for 14 days.
There was another significant announcement from the Big West: “Per the direction of the Big West Board of Directors, all teams will begin the season without spectators in attendance. The issue of fan attendance will be revisited as the season progresses.”
The conference also announced that any games adversely affected by COVID-19 will not be rescheduled.
UH’s non-conference schedule has yet to be announced.
CLICK HERE to view the Big West announcement and full schedule
