FAIRFIELD, Conn. -- Five home games and another appearance in the BracketBuster highlight the 2009-10 Fairfield University men's basketball schedule. The slate was announced by Head Coach Ed Cooley on Friday.

The 2009-10 schedule includes six different conferences - the ACC, the Atlantic 10, the Colonial Athletic Association, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, the Northeast Conference, and the Patriot League.

"Each year our goal is to play a competitive and challenging schedule that will prepare us for the MAAC season," Head Coach Ed Cooley said. "I believe our non-conference schedule will help us accomplish that goal this year."

The Stags open the 2009-10 campaign with a pair of home games, beginning with Central Connecticut State University as part of the Connecticut 6 Classic. The Classic will be played at the Arena at Harbor Yard this year and includes three games on November 13. Fairfield's game will be the second game of the triple header and will tip-off at 7:30 pm. Sacred Heart plays Yale at 5:30 with Hartford and Quinnipiac ending the evening with a 9:30 tip.

Fairfield's second home game will have a nostalgic feel as Fordham University returns to Alumni Hall for a November 15 match up. The game will be one of two games played at Fairfield's on-campus facility. The second game takes place on December 29 when the Stags host St. Francis College (N.Y.).

The schedule sends Fairfield on its first road trip when it heads south to the University of Maryland for a November 17 date. Less than a week later, the Stags play a two-game swing in Washington D.C. with a game against American on November 23 and Howard on November 25. The four-game road run ends on November 30 as the Stags head to Hofstra University, a return game from last year's BracketBuster contest.

Once again, the men's basketball team will have a two-game respite from the road as it hosts the College of the Holy Cross on December 9 and Sacred Heart University of December 13. Both games will be played at the Arena at Harbor Yard. The December 13th date is part of a doubleheader which a women's basketball game with the Stags and the Pioneers.

Just before the holiday break, Fairfield will make a quick trip to the University of Rhode Island on December 21. After Christmas, the team resumes its schedule with a home game against St. Francis, N.Y. The last non-conference game will take place in late February as part of the BracketBuster. Fairfield's opponent will be announced in early February and it will be an away game.

Fans interested in purchasing season tickets for the 2009-10 campaign can contact the Fairfield University ticket office at (203) 254-4136.