Oct. 9, 2003
Truman Men's Basketball To Play in Edward Jones Dome as Test Run for 2005 Final Four
One of the highlights of the 2003-04 Truman men's basketball schedule will be a Dec. 6 game at 1:30 p.m. against Harris-Stowe State College. The game will be played at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, Mo.
The game was originally scheduled to be a home game for the Bulldogs in Kirksville. However, it was moved when the two teams were asked to play in the Dome as a test run for the building. The site will play host to the NCAA Division I Midwest Regional in March and the NCAA Division I Final Four in 2005. The game fulfills a NCAA requirement that an NCAA event be played in the building prior to hosting a basketball regional.
"We saw this as a great opportunity for our program," said head coach Jack Schrader. "We have several St. Louis area athletes on our roster and there is a lot of Truman alumni in the area. Plus, we are excited about playing in a building that is a site for a future Final Four."
The Edward Jones Dome is expected to seat between 42,000 and 45,000 people for the NCAA Regional in March.
The Truman men's basketball team returns eight letterwinners off of last year's squad, including six players who started at least eight games for the Bulldogs last year. Among the returners is Matt Beran, an MIAA honorable mention selection last season. Truman begins practice next Wednesday.