For the first time in program history, Campbellsville University men's basketball will be going up against one of its former head coaches, as Travis Ford and Oklahoma State University plan to host Keith Adkins' Tigers for a season-opening exhibition game Nov. 5, 8 p.m.

"We tried several times to try to work out dates with Travis since he left Campbellsville … This is the first opportunity Travis really had to help us out, and he's being generous in extending this game to us," Adkins said. "It's a great opportunity, just like the Kentucky game and Arkansas game the past couple of years, because of the level of play. The notoriety helps you in a number of ways."

Ford began his head coaching career with a three-year run at Campbellsville from 1997-2000. Hired to replace the late Lou Cunningham in 1997, Ford's Tigers went 16-17 the first season, but bounced back to win 28 games the following year, finishing in a tie for first place in the Mid-South Conference, but do to NAIA penalties, no postseason was allowed for the Tigers. Ford led CU to a 23-11 record the next year before moving on to Eastern Kentucky for five seasons and then the University of Massachusetts for three.

Adkins, who coached with Ford as an assistant at Campbellsville, took over the Tiger program in 2000-01. In his nine years, he has led the Tigers to two Mid-South Conference Championships and holds a .622 win percentage with a 186-113 record.

Following the NCAA Division I exhibition to open the season, Adkins hopes his strong schedule will put his Tigers in line for a repeat Mid-South Conference regular season title and deeper run into the NAIA Tournament.

"I thought last year's schedule was a tough one, and we came out pretty good at the end of it. I think it benefited us in a lot of ways," said Adkins, who led his Top 10 team to a 26-8 season, MSC regular season title and MSC Tournament runner-up finish.

"When you look at the schedule this year, up and down, there's no weakness. Hopefully it can provide the same thing this year that it did last year, and that's to get you ready for top notch opponents in the conference and national tournaments."

Campbellsville will open the 2010-11 regular season at the Georgetown College Classic, taking on Southern University at New Orleans and either Georgetown or St. Catharine College, Nov. 12-13. The following week, CU travels to Lindsey Wilson College to meet TranSouth Athletic Conference foes Trevecca Nazarene University and Cumberland University before traveling to NAIA Tournament qualifier Union University on Nov. 22.

The Tigers begin their home schedule Nov. 26-27 with the Lou Cunningham Classic, hosting NAIA D-II power Indiana Wesleyan and Brescia University before going to Gallatin County High School in Warsaw, Ky., Nov. 29 to play Asbury College on a neutral court.

With the addition of the University of Virginia-Wise and Shawnee State University to the Mid-South Conference schedule, MSC play will begin before Christmas. Campbellsville will host Shawnee State on Thursday, Dec. 2, followed by a Dec. 4 game with Georgetown College in Powell Athletic Center.

All but three of the remaining games on the schedule are MSC doubleheaders with the Lady Tigers, playing on a Thursday/Saturday rotation this season. The three non-conference games in December-February are a home-and-home with Life University and hosting Union University.

2010-11 SCHEDULE