Iona College men’s basketball will be participating in “Bubbleville” at the Mohegan Sun Arena, home to the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun, as a part of the upcoming college basketball season. The event will host more than 30 college basketball teams across several conferences. Practice facilities include the Expo Center, which can hold as many as 12 basketball courts.  

The venue will allow tournaments in “pods” in order to maintain safe conditions for gameplay during the pandemic. Additional COVID-19 safety measures will be put in place, including:  

1. Teams will be quarantined in a single hotel, with floors designated for each team 
2. Each team will be COVID-19 tested upon arrival 
3. Catered dining and meeting areas will be designated for each team 
4. The resort will be converted into a practice facility  
5. Officials will be quarantined for the two–week period as well  

At the moment, fans will not be allowed to attend these games in person. The decision will be re-evaluated this month as game play approaches, depending on the current COVID-19 situation.  

The Gaels have had two opponents announced so far, as they are set to take on SUNY Buffalo and the University of Vermont in back-to-back games on Dec. 1 and Dec. 2. For the match-up that will kickoff tournament action for Iona, set to take place on Nov. 29, their opponent has yet to be announced. Gameplay will be a round-robin between the four teams.  

With the addition of these three games, the team now has a total of five games in the upcoming nonconference schedule. The Gaels are set to start-off the season against Fordham on Nov. 25. The season opener will mark Rick Pitino’s first game as head coach of the Gaels.  

Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play will follow for the Gaels starting on Dec. 8 against Saint Peter’s. The team shows promise, as Iona men’s basketball has been ranked second to Siena in the MAAC preseason coach’s poll.