UAA unveiled start times and team pairings Wednesday for this year's GCI Great Alaska Shootout, and the 40th annual holiday event will feature a couple of twists.
The women's teams will get a day of rest and play on Thanksgiving for the first time since 2011. Also for the first time since 2011, Thanksgiving will serve up a full day of four games — two for the women, two for the men.
The longest-running, regular-season college basketball tournament in the country will begin Tuesday, Nov. 21, with a pair of women's contests at the Alaska Airlines Center.
Tulsa will play Binghamton at 5:30 p.m., with UAA and Maryland Eastern Shore to follow at 8 p.m.
In years past, the women played again on Wednesday, but this year they won't return to the court until Thursday.
Wednesday will belong to the men with four first-round games on tap, including a nightcap between UAA and Cal State-Bakersfield.
Wednesday's losers will play Thursday night and take Friday off. Wednesday's winners will take Thursday off and play Friday night.
The change is designed to bring balance to the men's tournament. In the past, some teams played three games in three days and some played three games in four days.
"It definitely evens out the competitive nature of the men's tournament," said Nate Sagan, UAA's assistant athletic director for media relations. "Putting four games on Thanksgiving Day is the only way we could do it."
This year's men's tournament will start at noon Wednesday with a game between Cal Poly and College of Charleston, a 2017 NIT participant and the 2002 Shootout champ. Central Michigan will face Sam Houston State at 2:30 p.m., while Idaho squares off with Santa Clara at 5:30 p.m.
The UAA men draw CSU Bakersfield, arguably the strongest team in the tournament. Bakersfield won the Western Athletic Conference regular season title and appeared in the NIT semifinals.
The women's tournament has never featured a day of rest, but the extra day won't impact teams' travel plans, Sagan said.
"Most teams coming up (in the past) enjoy staying the extra day on Thanksgiving," he said. "… We hope fans eat early and come out and support the women that day."
2017 GCI Great Alaska Shootout Schedule
All games played at Alaska Airlines Center
Women's schedule
Tuesday, Nov. 21
5:30 p.m. – Binghamton vs. Tulsa
8 p.m. – Maryland Eastern Shore vs. UAA
Thursday, Nov. 23
Noon – Third-place game
2:30 p.m. – Championship game
Men's schedule
Wednesday, Nov. 22
Noon – Cal Poly vs. College of Charleston
2:30 p.m. – Central Michigan vs. Sam Houston State
5:30 p.m. – Idaho vs. Santa Clara
8 p.m. – CSU Bakersfield vs. UAA
Thursday, Nov. 23
5:30 p.m. – Consolation semifinal
8 p.m. – Consolation semifinal
Friday, Nov. 24
5:30 p.m. – Championship semifinal
8 p.m. – Championship semifinal
Saturday, Nov. 25
Noon – 7th/8th place game
2:30 p.m. – 4th/6th place game
5:30 p.m. – 3rd/5th place game
8 p.m. – Championship game