NICEVILLE, Fla. – The Western Michigan men’s basketball program is set to take part in the ninth annual Emerald Coast Classic, it was announced by Global Sports on Tuesday. The Broncos are scheduled to play three games as part of the event, with a road game at Ohio State and two neutral site contests at Raider Arena in Niceville, Fla., on the campus of Northwest Florida State College.
WMU’s first game of the event will be at Ohio State on Sunday, November 19. The Broncos and Buckeyes have not met on the hardwood since facing off in three consecutive seasons from 1986-88.
Western Michigan will then head down to Niceville for the final two games of the tournament over Thanksgiving Weekend. On Friday, November 24, the Broncos are slated to face Southeastern Louisiana. This will be the second meeting in the last three seasons between the two programs, as WMU came out with an 81-77 overtime win over the Lions at the 2021 Hilton Garden Inn FGCU Invitational.
The following day, the Broncos will match up against either Tennessee State or Mercer, depending on the results of Friday’s contests. Western Michigan has faced both programs once previously. The Broncos beat Tennessee State, 63-52, on November 11, 2013 as part of the Outrigger Hotels and Resorts Rainbow Classic. The only prior meeting with Mercer was a 68-65 setback at the 2015 Challenge in the Music City in Nashville, Tenn.
This will be the second time Western Michigan has participated in the Emerald Coast Classic, as the Brown & Gold were also in the field for the 2018 edition. That season, the Broncos went 1-1 down in Florida, defeating Southern, 85-70, and falling in overtime to Nicholls State, 62-61. WMU senior center Seth Dugan was selected to the All-Tournament Team.
Global Sports has produced 52 multi-team college basketball tournaments since 2007. For more information, fans can visit the tournament website, www.emeraldcoastclassic.com.
