UB Hoops to play in “Bubbleville”

(UB Athletics) The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Gazelle Group are collaborating to produce multiple college basketball games at Mohegan Sun from November 25 through December 5 and the University at Buffalo men’s basketball team has been selected to play in one of the pods. The event has been appropriately tabbed as “Bubbleville.”

Buffalo will be in Pod Three with Vermont out of the America East and Iona from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. While final dates, pairings, and times are still to be announced, it is anticipated that these games will occur on Monday, Nov. 30 and Tuesday, Dec. 1.

Iona enters this season with a new man in charge in legendary head coach Rick Pitino. The Bulls and Gaels are tied 4-4 in the all-time series, but the two teams have not met since the 2010-11 season when Iona defeated Buffalo in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.

Buffalo and Vermont have played four times and are no strangers to playing at the Mohegan Sun as the last meeting between these schools came in 2015-16, a 77-71 win for the Bulls in the final game of the Hall of Fame Classic.

These two non-conference games add to a non-league schedule that already includes West Virginia, a game that was announced earlier this week.

Bubbleville will house several events relocated and reimagined due to COVID-19 and provides a controlled environment with teams and event staff adhering to tribal, government, and NCAA health and safety protocols and testing requirements. Previously announced events taking place in Bubbleville include Bubblevllle Pod One, the Roman Legends Classic presented by Old Trapper, the 2K Empire Classic benefiting Wounded Warrior Project, the Air Force Reserve Tip-Off Tournament and the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Challenge.