NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State University men's basketball coach Anthony Evans announced his team's 2010-11 schedule on Wednesday. The non-conference slate includes November home games against Jacksonville State and Iona, as well as road contests at Virginia, St. Joseph's and Rutgers.

After a home exhibition on Nov. 6 against Virginia State, NSU opens the regular season on Friday, Nov. 12 at Long Island University. The game gives the Spartans' six New York natives the chance to play in their home state. NSU and LIU have played just once previously, with the Blackbirds earning a 72-68 neutral-floor win at a tournament at the College of Charleston in 2003-04.

NSU returns to Echols Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 16 to face Jacksonville State of the Ohio Valley Conference. This will be the fourth straight season the teams will play each other. The Gamecocks have won the last two meetings.

The Spartans them embark on a three-game road swing through the Northeast, beginning with a Nov. 20 game at Atlantic 10 power St. Joseph's. The Spartans then face Rutgers on Nov. 23 in the schools' second-ever meeting. Rutgers edged the Spartans 63-58 during the 2004-05 season in New Jersey.

The Spartans take a break for Thanksgiving before retuning to action at Fairfield on Nov. 26. NSU concludes its November schedule with a home game against Iona on Tuesday, Nov. 30. The contest is the second in a home-and-home series with the Gaels, who beat NSU 80-68 in New Rochelle, N.Y., last year.

The Spartans will be on the road for all five of their December games, beginning with the MEAC opener at North Carolina A&T on Dec. 4. After the exam break, the Spartans play at Maine (Dec. 12), the University of Virginia (Dec. 20), Evansville (Dec. 23) and Ohio University (Dec. 30). NSU has never faced U.Va. or Ohio previously. NSU is 0-1 all-time against Evansville, but toppled Maine last November in a contest in Norfolk.

NSU wraps up its non-conference slate on Jan. 2 at Duquesne. The schools have never faced each other.

The final 17 games of the year are against MEAC opponents, beginning with home games against Bethune-Cookman (Jan. 8) and Florida A&M (Jan. 10). Like the last three seasons, only 16 games against MEAC teams count in the conference standings. The two games against North Carolina Central do not count toward conference records because the Eagles are not eligible for the MEAC Tournament. NCCU replaces Winston-Salem State on the MEAC schedule this year, as the Rams have returned to the Division II CIAA.

In the league's unbalanced schedule, NSU will face Delaware State, Maryland Eastern Shore, Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman once each. The Spartans will play every other MEAC school twice.

The MEAC Tournament returns to Winston-Salem, N.C. and the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum this season. The 2011 tourney runs from March 8-12.

“We have put together a very competitive schedule this season,” Evans said. “We are excited about the level of competition we will face, and look forward to the challenges of the season.”

To view the entire schedule, click here.