NEW ORLEANS – Sun Belt Conference officials unveiled the 2021-22 men's basketball league schedule on Tuesday afternoon, with UT Arlington slated to play an 18-game docket in a return to a more traditional conference season.
 
Much more information is included below, but UTA's Sun Belt schedule is as follows:
 
Dec. 30: South Alabama – 7 PM
Jan. 1: Troy – 2 PM
Jan. 6: @ Georgia State
Jan. 8: @ Georgia Southern
Jan. 13: Louisiana – 7 PM
Jan. 15: ULM – 2 PM
Jan. 20 @ Arkansas State
Jan. 22: @ Little Rock
Jan. 27: Texas State – 7 PM
Jan. 29: @ Texas State
Feb. 3: Coastal Carolina – 7 PM
Feb. 5: App State – 5 PM (Women's Doubleheader)
Feb. 10: @ ULM
Feb. 12: @ Louisiana
Feb. 17: Little Rock – 7 PM
Feb. 19: Arkansas State – 2 PM
Feb. 24: @ Troy
Feb. 26: @ South Alabama
 
Along with the Sun Belt's 11 other members, UTA will play 10 home and away games against divisional opponents, in addition to eight non-division contests. For the Mavericks, that results in them playing seven teams in the conference twice, but will only face Georgia State, Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina and App State once. Three of those four programs reached the Sun Belt Tournament semifinals last year, with App State winning the title.
 
All 12 teams will be in action when the league season officially tips off on Thursday, Dec. 30. During the regular season, teams will compete every Thursday and Saturday through the last weekend of February.
 
The Sun Belt Tournament returns to Pensacola, Fla., for a second-straight year in March. While the regular season features a divisional scheduling model, the Sun Belt will not utilize East/West divisions for conference standings this year – as was the case last year due to COVID. Instead, teams will be seeded 1-12 for the conference tournament based off regular-season standings.
 
The top-four teams earn 1st-round byes through to the quarterfinals on Saturday, Mar. 5. The remaining eight teams will open the tournament with a quadruple-header on Thursday, Mar. 3. The semifinals are set for Sunday, Mar. 6, with the final at 6 p.m. Central on Monday, Mar. 7 on either ESPN or ESPN2.
 
As previously announced, Pensacola Bay Center will host every Sun Belt Men's & Women's Basketball Tournament game in 2022 – a change from the split-venue event in 2021 along with Pensacola State College's Hartsell Arena. The women will follow a similar timeline to the men, with quarterfinal games tipping on Wednesday, Mar. 2, and running through the final on Mar. 7.
 
With the exception of any regular-season conference games which may later be selected for linear broadcast coverage by the ESPN networks, all UTA Sun Belt contests will again air on ESPN+.
 
UTA's non-conference schedule is nearly finalized, and is expected to be announced on Thursday, Aug. 5. Season tickets are also scheduled to go on sale that same day, with single-game tickets available beginning on Monday, Oct. 11.
 
The Mavs are entering the first season of the Greg Young regime as the longtime former associate head coach was promoted to lead program in April. He quickly solidified a strong roster which included six talented newcomers, the return of fifth-year veteran David Azore and putting Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu on scholarship after a breakthrough season.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
For updates, behind-the-scenes photos, videos and more engaging and personal content, be sure to follow the men's basketball program on Twitter (@UTAMavsMBB), Instagram (@UTAMavsMBB) and Facebook (/UTAMavsMBB).