With the 2019-20 basketball season right around the corner, Head Men's Basketball Coach Nick McDevitt has finalized the non-conference portion of Middle Tennessee's schedule.

The 97th edition of Blue Raider Men's Basketball will feature a trip to South Carolina for the Myrtle Beach Invitational where the Blue Raiders will open the 8-team tournament against the two-time national champion Villanova Wildcats.

McDevitt and his squad could face up to two other power five programs during their trip to the beach, and also travel to Ole Miss and play in prominent mid-major match-ups against Lipscomb, Belmont, Murray State, St. Bonaventure and Rhode Island during the winter.

"Once again we feel like we've put together a really competitive schedule that will test our team early in order to prepare us for conference play," McDevitt said. "We always look forward to the opportunity to play against Power 5 programs as well as some of the nation's top mid-major teams."

The 2019-20 slate tips off on Nov. 5 when the Blue Raiders host in-state Maryville College for the annual Rutherford County Schools Education Day Game at 11:00 a.m.

Middle Tennessee makes a quick trip to Nashville to face the Lipscomb Bisons on Nov. 9 before another home contest against Mars Hill on Nov. 13.

The Raiders begin their Myrtle Beach trip that will last just over a week with a contest at Coastal Carolina on Nov. 18.

After opening the Myrtle Beach Invitational against Villanova on Nov. 21, the Blue Raiders will face either Mississippi State or Tulane on Nov. 22 with the final game set for Nov. 24. The other side of the bracket features Baylor, Utah, Ohio and Coastal Carolina.

"We're really excited about being a part of the Myrtle Beach Invitational and the competition we will face that week," McDevitt added. "We start off with a really tough contest against a talented team in Villanova and a great coach in Jay Wright, but it is a teriffic opportunity to put our program on the national stage any time we compete against one of the nation's premier programs."

Middle Tennessee returns home for a Thanksgiving weekend match-up against nearby rival Belmont (Nov. 30) and a mid-week contest against Columbia International before hitting the road once again.

The last road swing of the non-conference slate will see the Blue Raiders travel to Murray State on Dec. 7 for what will become MT's most played rivalry of all time in the 142nd meeting of the two long-time rivals.

The Blue Raiders then move on to Oxford, Miss., for their seventh meeting with the Ole Miss Rebels (Dec. 14) in the last nine seasons.

Middle Tennessee closes out the 2019 non-conference slate with a pair of perennial competitors from the prestigious Atlantic 10, hosting St. Bonaventure on Dec. 21 and Rhode Island on Dec. 29.

Conference USA play begins Jan. 2 as the Blue Raiders open their seventh season in the league at defending champion Old Dominion.

Season tickets go on sale Tuesday and can be purchased by contacting the Blue Raider Ticket Office at (615) 898-5261, ordering online at GoBlueRaiders.com/Tickets or visiting the ticket office located in Gate 1A of Floyd Stadium.