But not until 2014-15, when the University of Victoria Vikes will be among the 11 older, established schools that will be incorporated into the tentatively named Pioneers Division, while the six newer teams will play in the Explorers Division, which will include next-season newcomer Grant MacEwan of Edmonton.
It is harder for the likes of older sa国际传媒 West hoops programs such as UVic and UBC to market the likes of relative newcomers Thompson Rivers, UNBC and Mount Royal to their long-established fan bases that want to see familiar old-school teams such as the Alberta Golden Bears, Calgary Dinos and Saskatchewan Huskies.
鈥淚t will renew the old rivalries with the older schools,鈥� said UVic women鈥檚 head coach Dani Sinclair.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the schedule I played [as a CIS national-champion player for the Vikes]. The reality is there was getting to be too many teams in sa国际传媒 West and it was necessary to do something.鈥�
The 2013-14 sa国际传媒 West basketball season 鈥� which was unveiled Monday 鈥� will be the calm before the impending storm of changes the following season.
It opens for the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 Vikes in Brandon and Regina on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2, respectively.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to get that trip done and out of the way early in the season,鈥� said UVic men鈥檚 head coach Craig Beaucamp, who guided his team last season to the CIS national championship tournament at Scotiabank Place in Ottawa.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e going to be as fresh as you鈥檙e going to be. That becomes a very different trip in December or January.鈥�
The Vikes teams open at home with back-to-back dates Nov. 8 and Nov. 9 against one of those newer sa国际传媒 West rivals 鈥� the University of Fraser Valley Cascades.
Each sa国际传媒 West team will play 22 games, 11 at home.
The traditional season-ending games for UVic against the UBC Thunderbirds are Feb. 14 at McKinnon Gym and Feb. 15 at War Memorial Gym in Vancouver.
The sa国际传媒 West playoffs start Feb. 21.
The upcoming year will the last full season for the Vikes in McKinnon Gym. The UVic teams are scheduled to move into the new CARSA Gym, now under construction, during mid-season in 2014-15.
鈥淭he new gym will feature a seating bowl and add a sense of sporting theatre to the games,鈥� said Beaucamp.
