The Central Michigan men’s and women’s basketball teams will spend much of the first month of the 2010-11 season away from Mount Pleasant.

As first reported by Central Michigan Life last week, the men’s basketball team will begin next season competing in the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii. CMU opens the tournament on Nov. 12 against Cal State Fullerton, followed by games against Montana State and Hawaii on Nov. 13 and 15, respectively.

The Chippewas will travel to Mobile, Ala., on Nov. 20 to play South Alabama and then Illinois-Chicago on Nov. 24 before hosting Temple on Dec. 1 in the team’s home opener.

After playing its first game in the new Events Center, CMU plays at DePaul and LSU – completing seven of its first eight games on the road.

A one-week, four-game home stand against Wright State, Detroit, South Dakota State and Cornerstone rounds out the non-conference home schedule before the team travels out west to play at UNLV Dec. 30.

CMU hosts an exhibition game on Nov. 3 at Mount Pleasant High School against Marygrove College.

Women hit tournament trail early

The CMU women’s basketball team will use November to play in three tournaments on consecutive weekends.

CMU opens its ‘10-11 schedule on Nov. 12 against North Carolina A & T in Rock Hill, S.C., in a tournament hosted by Winthrop. The Chippewas travel to Iowa City, Iowa, the following weekend to compete in an Iowa-hosted tournament, opening against Northeastern on Nov. 20.

The team will spend Thanksgiving weekend in Flagstaff, Ariz., playing in a tournament hosted by Northern Arizona. CMU begins the tournament on Nov. 26 against Drake.

CMU travels to Northwestern before hosting Mississippi on Dec. 18 in the team’s first game in the CMU Events Center. The Chippewas lost 81-70 in double overtime against Ole Miss on Jan. 3, 2008.

Wichita State and Pittsburgh will visit the Events Center in December.

Men’s non-conference schedule
Nov. 3 vs. Marygrove (exhibition), 7 p.m.                               
Rainbow Classic (Honolulu, Hawaii):
*Nov. 12 Cal State Fullerton, TBA                                                      
*Nov. 13 Montana State, TBA                                                         
*Nov. 15 Hawaii, TBA                                                                              
Nov. 20 at South Alabama, 7 p.m.                                                     
Nov. 24 at Illinois-Chicago, 8 p.m.                                               
Dec. 1 vs. Temple, 7 p.m.                                                                       
Dec. 5 at DePaul, TBA                                                                              
Dec. 11 at LSU, TBA
Dec. 15 Wright State, 7 p.m.
Dec. 18 Detroit-Mercy, 4:30 p.m.
Dec. 20 South Dakota State, 7 p.m.
Dec. 22 Cornerstone, 7 p.m.
Dec. 30 at UNLV, TBA

Women’s non-conference schedule
Winthrop Tournament (Rock Hill, S.C.)
*Nov. 12 North Carolina A & T, TBA
*Nov. 14 Belmont/Winthrop, TBA
Iowa Tournament (Iowa City, Iowa)
*Nov. 20 Northeastern, TBA
*Nov. 21 Iowa/Northern Colorado, TBA
Northern Arizona Tournament (Flagstaff, Ariz.)
*Nov. 26 Drake, TBA
*Nov. 27 Northern Arizona/Binghamton, TBA
Dec. 11 at Northwestern, TBA
Dec. 18 Ole Miss, 2 p.m.
Dec. 22 Wichita State, 1 p.m.
Dec. 31 Pittsburgh, 1 p.m.

E-mail the author: CM Life Staff Reports