ST. LOUIS – Saint Louis and Butler will start a home-and-home series beginning in the 2017-18 season.
The series starts in Indianapolis on Saturday, December 2, 2017, when the Billikens and Bulldogs meet at Hinkle Fieldhouse. In 2018-19, SLU and Butler will meet at Chaifetz Arena on Saturday, December 1, 2018.
“This is a win-win from a scheduling standpoint because these will be great games for our team as well as our fans,” SLU head coach Travis Ford said. “I have a lot of respect for Butler’s program and there is no doubt this will be a major test for our basketball team. We are thrilled to get a regional road game of this caliber on a weekend to make it easier for our fans to travel. I hope to see plenty of Billiken blue inside Hinkle Fieldhouse on December 2.”
Saint Louis owns a 19-11 series lead over the Bulldogs. The teams last met during the 2012-13 season when Butler was a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference. SLU won both games during the regular season, defeating the Bulldogs at Chaifetz Arena when Butler was ranked No. 9, then again at Hinkle Fieldhouse when Butler was ranked No. 15. The Billikens also knocked off the Bulldogs in the A-10 semifinals in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Last season, Butler finished 25-9 overall and 12-6 in the BIG EAST en route to a Sweet 16 appearance.
This is the third game of the Billikens’ nonconference schedule that has been finalized so far. It was previously announced that Saint Louis would participate in the 2K Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City Nov. 16-17. Joining SLU in the field are Providence, Virginia Tech and Washington.
