CHICAGO (September 14, 2021) – Defending Missouri Valley Conference regular season champion Loyola University Chicago will open the 2021-22 men's basketball league slate on December 1 when it hosts Indiana State according to the schedule released today by the conference office. This will be the earliest Loyola has commenced conference play since joining The Valley for the 2013-14 season. 
 
Following that league opener against the Sycamores, the Ramblers will go 31 days before playing their next Valley contest at Southern Illinois on January 2. A short trip to another in-state rival, Illinois State (Jan. 5), awaits just three days later before Loyola returns home from consecutive contests at Gentile Arena versus Bradley (Jan. 8) and Valparaiso (Jan. 11).
 
Back-to-back road tilts – at Indiana State (Jan. 15) and at Evansville (Jan. 18) - precede a stretch that will see the Ramblers play three of their next four games on the Lake Shore Campus, beginning with a showdown versus Missouri State (Jan. 22). A rematch with former Loyola associate head coach and current Southern Illinois front man Bryan Mullins awaits on January 25 and the Ramblers close the door on the month of January with a visit to Drake (Jan. 30).
 
Loyola welcomes Illinois State (Feb. 2) to Gentile Arena to begin the final month of the regular season, then heads to Missouri State (Feb. 6) and Bradley (Feb. 9) before returning to Rogers Park for a Sunday showdown with Northern Iowa (Feb. 13). 
 
A short trek east on the Toll Road comes next as the Ramblers travel to Valparaiso (Feb. 16) for their penultimate road game, then close out the home portion of the 2021-22 slate with consecutive contests on their home court against Drake (Feb. 19) and Evansville (Feb. 23). Loyola wraps up the regular season with what could be a pivotal game at Northern Iowa (Feb. 26) prior to its annual trip to St. Louis for the MVC Championship, March 3-6.
 
Loyola, which has won three of the last four regular season MVC crowns, kicks off the 2021-22 season on November 9 when it hosts Coppin State. First-year head coach Drew Valentine will benefit from the return of four starters, including Second Team All-MVC and MVC Defensive Player of the Year Lucas Williamson, from last year's squad that went 26-5 and reached the NCAA Sweet 16.
 
The Ramblers' complete 2021-22 schedule follows.
 
Nov. 9 – Coppin State
Nov. 13 – Florida Gulf Coast
Nov. 16 – Chicago State
Nov. 20 – UIC
Nov. 24 – vs. Michigan State (Battle 4 Atlantis)
Nov. 25 – vs. Auburn or Connecticut (Battle 4 Atlantis)
Nov. 26 – vs. TBA (Battle 4 Atlantis)
Dec. 1 – Indiana State *
Dec. 4 – at DePaul
Dec. 7 – Roosevelt
Dec. 10 – at Vanderbilt
Dec. 19 – Norfolk State
Dec. 22 – at Davidson
Jan. 2 – at Southern Illinois *
Jan. 5 – at Illinois State *
Jan. 8 – Bradley *
Jan. 11 – Valparaiso *
Jan. 15 – at Indiana State *
Jan. 18 – at Evansville *
Jan. 22 – Missouri State *
Jan. 25 – Southern Illinois *
Jan. 30 – at Drake *
Feb. 2 – Illinois State *
Feb. 6 – at Missouri State *
Feb. 9 – at Bradley *
Feb. 13 – Northern Iowa *
Feb. 16 – at Valparaiso *
Feb. 19 – Drake *
Feb. 23 – Evansville *
Feb. 26 – at Northern Iowa
March 3 – at MVC Championship (St. Louis, Mo.)
March 4 – at MVC Championship (St. Louis, Mo.)
March 5 – at MVC Championship (St. Louis, Mo.)
March 6 – at MVC Championship (St. Louis, Mo.)