Butler has an ambitious schedule to match its high ambitions for the 2009-10 basketball season.

The university today released the schedule, which had been delayed so that the Horizon League could finish negotiations with ESPN for televised games. Butler’s TV games will be announced later.

The Bulldogs’ schedule features nine opponents that advanced to postseason play in 2009, and possibly two more in a Thanksgiving weekend tournament at Anaheim, Calif.

Butler returns every player from a 26-6 team that won the Horizon League regular-season title and lost to LSU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

“Every year we want to compete at a high level,” Butler coach Brad Stevens said in a release from the university. "We recognize that every time we take the floor this season, it will be a great challenge.
“I can’t imagine a more exciting schedule for the Butler community.”
Butler’s home schedule features four Saturday games against nonleague teams: Davidson (Nov. 14), Ohio State (Dec. 12), Xavier (Dec. 19) and a BracketBuster team to be chosen later (Feb. 20).
In addition to the 76 Classic tourney at Anaheim, where the Bulldogs open against Minnesota, they will play Dec. 8 against Georgetown in the Jimmy V Classic at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The Bulldogs have road games at Northwestern, Evansville, Ball State and Alabama-Birmingham. Butler has three Friday night games in the Horizon League, all on the road.
Butler has two exhibitions at Hinkle Fieldhouse, DePauw (Nov. 1) and Taylor (Nov. 7).

Butler’s 2009-10 schedule:

Date Day Opponent Time

Nov. 1 Sun. DePAUW (Exhibition) 7 p.m.

Nov. 7 Sat. TAYLOR (Exhibition) 2 p.m.

Nov. 14 Sat. DAVIDSON 2 p.m.

Nov. 18 Wed. At Northwestern 8 p.m.

Nov. 21 Sat. At Evansville 8 p.m.

76 Classic, Anaheim, Calif.

Nov. 26 Thur Minnesota 8:30 p.m.

Nov. 27 Fri. UCLA/Portland TBA

Nov. 29 Sun. At 76 Classic TBA

Dec. 2 Wed. At Ball State 7 p.m.

Dec. 5 Sat. VALPARAISO* 2 p.m.

Dec. 8 Tue. Georgetown (Jimmy V Classic) 7 p.m.

Dec. 12 Sat. OHIO STATE noon

Dec. 19 Sat. XAVIER 2 p.m.

Dec. 22 Tue At UAB, TBA

Dec. 31 Thur. GREEN BAY* 7 p.m.

Jan. 2 Sat. MILWAUKEE* 2 p.m.

Jan. 8 Fri. At Wright State* 7 p.m.

Jan. 10 Sun. At Detroit* 4 p.m.

Jan. 14 Thur. CLEVELAND STATE* 7 p.m.

Jan. 16 Sat. YOUNGSTOWN STATE* 2 p.m.

Jan. 21 Thur. At Loyola* 8 p.m.

Jan. 23 Sat. At UIC* 4 p.m.

Jan. 29 Fri. At Green Bay* 9 p.m.

Jan. 31 Sun. At Milwaukee* TBA

Feb. 4 Thur. DETROIT* 7 p.m.

Feb. 6 Sat. WRIGHT STATE* 2 p.m.

Feb. 8 Mon. LOYOLA* 7 p.m.

Feb. 11 Thur. At Youngstown State* 7 p.m.

Feb. 13 Sat. At Cleveland State* TBA

Feb. 17 Wed. UIC* 7 p.m.

Feb. 20 Sat. ESPNU BRACKET BUSTER TBA

Feb. 26 Fri. At Valparaiso* 9 p.m.

Mar. 2 Tue. Horizon League Tournament, First Round

Mar. 5-9 (Fri.-Tue.) At Horizon League Tournament

HOME GAMES at Hinkle Fieldhouse