Fraser Valley – The University of the Fraser Valley basketball teams will tip off the 2021-22 Canada West campaign at home on Oct. 29, taking on the UBC Okanagan Heat.
The Cascades’ full Canada West (CW) regular-season schedules were unveiled Friday, and home-opening weekend will feature the Oct. 29 curtain-raisers vs. UBCO followed by Oct. 30 games vs. the UNBC Timberwolves.
CW’s 2021-22 schedules across all sports have a greater focus on regional play where possible, and in that vein, the Cascades’ entire regular-season basketball slate will be contested within the province of British Columbia. The 18-game schedule will include three games against each of their six provincial rivals – UBCO, UNBC, UBC, Thompson Rivers, Trinity Western, and Victoria. B.C. teams will cross over to face CW foes from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba for the first time in conference action when the playoffs begin in late February.
Other schedule highlights:
• All of UFV’s regular-season game dates are women’s/men’s doubleheaders against counterparts from the same university.
• The Cascades’ first road games of the campaign are Nov. 5-6 at the UBC Thunderbirds.
• The UFV hoopsters open 2022 with three straight games vs. local rival Trinity Western – Jan. 13 in Langley, and Jan. 21 and 22 at the UFV Athletic Centre.
• UFV basketball home doubleheaders in the fall semester (Oct/Nov) will see the women’s team playing the early game followed by the men’s team in the late game. In the winter semester (Jan/Feb) that will be reversed – the men will play first, followed by the women.
• The CW playoffs will be contested in a new tournament format featuring all 17 members. It will take place over two weekends, with the opening rounds running Feb. 25-27 at four predetermined sites (two men, two women), followed by the Final Fours set for March 4-6. Hosts for both the men’s and women’s tournaments will be determined at a later date. The Final Fours will be hosted by the highest remaining seeds.
Fans looking to follow the action on Canada West TV presented by Co-op will be able to buy passes beginning in August when 2021-22 packages go on sale to the public.
