LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The first Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) schedule of the Gerry McNamara Era is complete. The league has announced its 20-game regular season conference schedule, which tips off for the Saints with the annual Western New York trip the weekend of Dec. 6-8.
Although Siena will once again play a 20-game MAAC regular season schedule this coming winter – featuring an even breakdown of 10 home and 10 road conference contests – this year’s league slate will include several new wrinkles.
With the MAAC officially expanding to 13 members earlier this month with the additions of Merrimack and Sacred Heart, the conference will feature an unbalanced league schedule for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Every team will play eight teams twice – once home and once away – to comprise 16 of the 20 conference contests. The other four games will be single games against the remaining four opponents, featuring two home contests and two road contests. Each team will play its closest geographic rival twice – which, for Siena, is Marist – while the remainder of the schedule is randomized. As a result, the Saints will play Fairfield and Saint Peter’s – the two programs which squared off in last year’s MAAC Championship Game – only once this season coming at MVP Arena, while facing Rider and new league foe Merrimack just one time in road action.
Additionally this season, four of the 11 conference weekends will feature Thursday/Saturday contests – up from two last year – with the other seven weekends comprising traditional Friday/Sunday games. The breakdown of the 10 MAAC home games for Siena will feature four Thursday, three Friday, and three Sunday games. The Saints will also have two conference byes once again – Sunday, Jan. 12 and Friday, Feb. 28 – and will play no more than two consecutive home or road conference contests at any point.
Siena tips off its 36th season of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference competition with the annual December weekend on the first full weekend of the month. The Saints will begin MAAC play with a pair of games in Western New York for the first time in 11 years (2013-14) and just the third time ever (2005-06). Siena opens conference action at Niagara on Friday, Dec. 6, before wrapping up the weekend at Canisius on Sunday, Dec. 8.
The Saints ring in the New Year with a home weekend against downstate rivals Manhattan on Friday, Jan. 3 and Iona on Sunday, Jan. 5 to tip off 2025 at MVP Arena. After traveling to defending MAAC Regular Season Champion Quinnipiac (Jan. 10) prior to the first of their two conference byes, Siena will split home and away weekends for the remainder of their league schedule, with the exception of hosting Western New York rivals Niagara and Canisius the weekend of Feb. 21-23 at MVP Arena.
The Saints will travel to I-87 rival Marist on the final day of January, before hosting the Red Foxes in Albany two weeks later on Friday, Feb. 14. Siena welcomes new MAAC rival Sacred Heart to MVP Arena on Thursday, Jan. 16, and will make the return trip to the Pioneers on Sunday, Feb. 16, and face Merrimack for the lone time in regular season action on Saturday, Jan. 18 in Massachusetts.
The Saints will battle defending MAAC Tournament Champion Saint Peter’s just once, hosting the Peacocks on Thursday, Feb. 6 in Albany. Siena will also welcome the reigning regular season champion Quinnipiac to MVP Arena four days prior, on Sunday, Feb. 2.
The Saints wrap up regular season action with their lone meeting vs. Fairfield for Senior Night on Thursday, Mar. 6 at MVP Arena, before heading to Manhattan on the final Saturday, Mar. 8.
The 2025 Hercules Tires MAAC Basketball Championships will return to Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey for the sixth consecutive year from Tuesday, Mar. 11 through Saturday, Mar. 15.
The complete 2024-25 Siena Men’s Basketball schedule will be released later this summer following the announcement of the Saints non-conference schedule. Siena previously announced three of its non-conference games as part of the Fort Myers Tip-Off.
Led by McNamara, excitement surrounding Siena Basketball is at a fever pitch heading into the upcoming 2024-25 season. McNamara has already announced eight new additions to the program who are poised to lead the Saints back to MAAC Championship contention.
