ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – Elizabeth City State's first-year head men's basketball coach Shawn Walker has announced the first schedule of his second stint in the Harbor of Hospitality. The 2018-2019 Vikings face a tough schedule which includes four NCAA tournament participants from last season. The schedule also features 12 home dates, 3 neutral contests and 13 dates away from the friendly confines of the R. L. Vaughan Center at ECSU.

2018-19 SCHEDULE

"With the toughness of the CIAA schedule, we tried to craft a non-conference schedule that will have us ready for conference play. We feel as though we have put together a schedule that will be exciting for our fans as well as challenge our team," Walker said. The non-conference schedule features teams that went a combined 88-60 in 2017-18.

Coming off of a 12-15 season in 2017-18, the Vikings start the 2018-19 campaign on November 9 and 10, in West Virginia at the Earl Lloyd Classic on the campus of West Virginia State. The schedule is still tentative for that classic and the opponents will be announced soon. 

ECSU will then play four straight contests away from Elizabeth City as they will travel to Catawba (November 17), Barton (November 20), USC Aiken (November 25) and will face off in a non-conference matchup against Chowan in Murfreesboro on November 28^th, to end the four game trip.

The Vikings will open CIAA play with conference newcomer and NCAA tournament participant Claflin to the R. L. Vaughan Center on December 3^rd. The Claflin contest marks the first of a six game home stand as ECSU will welcome Catawba (December 4), and NCAA tournament participant UNC Pembroke (December 11). The Vikings will step back into conference play as they will play host to Shaw (December 13), St. Augustine's (December 15), and Fayetteville State (December 17) to the R. L. Vaughan Center throughout the month of December.

ECSU will step out of conference play one final time to travel to Bluefield State on December 30^th. 

The Vikings turn the calendar over to 2019 and welcome back the gauntlet that is CIAA play with trips to Fayetteville State (January 5), Livingstone (January 10) and CIAA tournament runner-up Johnson C. Smith (January 12) before playing Winston Salem State (January 14) in a neutral site game in Rocky Mount, N.C. ECSU will continue on their road trip by playing Chowan (January 19) and Lincoln (January 23) before returning home to face off against Virginia State at home on January 26^th. 

The Panthers of Virginia Union will come to the R. L. Vaughan Center on January 30^th and the Vikings will travel to Northern Division foe Bowie State to start the month of February (February 2). North Division play continues with home contests against Chowan (February 9) and Lincoln (February 13) before the Vikings make the road swing through Petersburg and Richmond to face off against Virginia State (February 16) and Virginia Union (February 20). ECSU will finish the regular season with a home matchup against Bowie State on Senior Night on February 23^rd.

The CIAA tournament will be contested in Charlotte from February 25^th-March 2^nd in the Bojangles Coliseum and the Spectrum Center. 

For additional information and for season ticket information please visit ECSUVikings.com.