WKU Hilltopper Basketball’s previously announced 2020-21 Conference USA schedule has been adjusted to a new health and safety model, as approved by the league’s Board of Directors.

This season, the league will move to a new 18-game regular season format for conference play that focuses on the health and safety of student-athletes. In this format, schools will play two games per visit at four select C-USA schools and host four select teams for a two-game series, while playing a rival opponent one time each home and away.

Moving to this schedule format will significantly reduce the amount of travel during conference play, with the aim of minimizing the risks associated with COVID-19. Additionally, the final week of the regular season (March 4 and 6) may be utilized to reschedule any postponed games.

The Hilltoppers will now open the conference slate with two games at Charlotte on Dec. 31 and Jan. 2, followed by home games against Louisiana Tech on Jan. 7 and 9.

WKU will split a series with travel partner Marshall, first hosting the Thundering Herd on Jan. 13 before a return game to Huntington, W.Va. on Jan. 16.

That’s followed by two games at Middle Tennessee (Jan. 21 and 23), home games against Old Dominion (Jan. 28 and 30), a road trip to Florida Atlantic (Feb. 4 and 6), and two contests in Diddle Arena against Rice (Feb. 11 and 13).

WKU concludes the regular season with two games at defending league champion North Texas on Feb. 18 and 20, before returning home for the final series against FIU on Feb. 26 and 27.

The week of March 4 and 6 is being held for make-up games postponed by COVID-19, while the Conference USA Championships will take place March 10-13 in Frisco, Texas. The top 12 regular-season finishers will quality for the conference tournament.

Game times and TV information will be announced at a later date. The non-conference portion of WKU’s 2020-21 schedule is still being finalized.

The Hilltoppers are 8-4 against the Power Five over the last three seasons and have won 67 total games over that span, the most in Conference USA. WKU ranks third in NCAA history in regular-season league titles (42), seventh in 20-win seasons (46), eighth in all-time winning percentage (.660) and 15th in all-time wins (1,815).