Texas A&M men’s basketball will no longer open its season with the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic in South Dakota due to COVID-19 concerns, the athletic department announced on Tuesday, Nov. 17.
The Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic will still take place from Nov. 25-27 in the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.
A&M was scheduled to play West Virginia in the opening game of the tournament at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 25.
The Aggies will instead have their season opener on Sunday, Nov. 29 against the New Orleans Privateers. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
“The health and safety of our student-athletes and staff is the top priority for our entire athletics department, and given the current public health crisis, we have decided to cancel our trip to the Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic,” A&M Director of Athletics Ross Bjork said in a release from the athletic department. “In order to keep our program as safe as possible as we start the season, we sought input from public health experts and our medical team after seeing the rise of cases in all of our communities, but especially in the state of South Dakota. Based on their advice, we felt it was most prudent to stay in Texas and work to schedule a home game at Reed Arena. We are thankful for the hard work and understanding of the tournament organizers.”
During the 2019-2020 season, A&M went 16-14 overall and 10-8 in conference play.