ST. LOUIS – Illinois State will host New Mexico on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena, Dec. 3, 2016, as part of the Mountain West/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge, the league office announced Tuesday.
Led by third-year head coach Craig Neal, the Lobos have earned seven Mountain West regular-season and tournament championships over the past eight seasons. Next year's game will mark the first-ever meeting between Illinois State and New Mexico.
Nine of the 10 MW/MVC Challenge games in 2016 will take place on the same date (Dec. 3, 2016), as the agreement between the Mountain West and Missouri Valley conferences enters the second year of a four-year term.
In 2015, the Mountain West Conference won the series, 6-4, with Illinois State falling at San Diego State, 71-60, in the Redbirds' season opener (Nov. 13). ISU is 1-3 in the Challenge series (2009-10: at Utah, W 73-63; 2010-11: vs. UNLV, L 82-51; 2011-12: No opponent; 2012-13: vs. Wyoming, L 81-67; 2014-15: at San Diego State, L, 71-60).
The Challenge Series features head-to-head competition between 10 Mountain West and 10 Missouri Valley teams annually, with each conference hosting five games apiece. The MW has an all-time series edge of 3-1-1 in five previous MW/MVC Challenge seasons, which includes an overall advantage of 28-17 in games played in association with the series.
Annual matchups for teams in the Challenge Series are based upon factors including the previous year's achievements, records and RPI rankings, as well as projected rankings/strength of teams in the upcoming season, based on composite sources. Each season is considered separately in terms of matchups, therefore, games from the previous year's Challenge Series may not be returned.
Television rights for each Challenge Series contest are controlled by the home team's conference television agreement, which will dictate the distribution of the game and all related matters, including tipoff times.
2016 MW/MVC Challenge Schedule
| Date | Matchup | Location |
| Sat., Dec. 3 | San Diego State at Loyola | Chicago, Ill. |
| Sat., Dec. 3 | Indiana State at Utah State | Logan, Utah |
| Sat., Dec. 3 | UNI at Wyoming | Laramie, Wyo. |
| Sat., Dec. 3 | Boise State at Evansville | Evansville, Ind. |
| Sat., Dec. 3 | Missouri State at Air Force | Colorado Springs, Colo. |
| Sat., Dec. 3 | Wichita State at Colorado State | Fort Collins, Colo. |
| Sat., Dec. 3 | Nevada at Bradley | Peoria, Ill. |
| Sat., Dec. 3 | New Mexico at Illinois State | Normal, Ill. |
| Sat., Dec. 3 | Fresno State at Drake | Des Moines, Iowa |
| Mon., Dec. 19 | Southern Illinois at UNLV | Las Vegas, Nev. |
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