TOLEDO, Ohio - The University of Toledo men's basketball program has finalized its 2019-20 non-conference schedule, Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk announced today. Highlighting the schedule will be a November matchup at Notre Dame, the first meeting between the Rockets and the Fighting Irish since they faced off in a Sweet 16 battle in the 1979 NCAA Tournament.

Season tickets for the men's basketball program are on sale now.  For more information or to purchase season tickets, visit the Rocket Athletic Ticket Office at the Sullivan Athletic Complex in Savage Arena, contact the Rocket Athletic Ticket Office at 419-530-GOLD (4653) or go online to UTRockets.com/tix.

"We're excited about our non-conference schedule," said Kowalczyk, who has guided the Rockets to the second-most overall victories (129) in the MAC over the last six seasons. "It's a schedule that will challenge us and help us prepare for our Mid-American Conference season."

Toledo tips off its season at Valparaiso on Nov. 5 before beginning play in the Men Against Breast Cancer Invitational. The Rockets open the event with a trip to Marshall on Nov. 10 before hosting Robert Morris in their home opener on Nov. 16 and Howard on Nov. 17. Toledo wraps up the event by visiting Notre Dame on Nov. 21.

"I think having the opportunity to play at Notre Dame is great for our fans because it's a short drive that gives them the chance to see us play a high-major school on the road," Kowalczyk said. "I have a lot of respect for Mike Brey and what their program stands for. We're looking forward to the challenge."

After hosting Northwestern Ohio on Nov. 23, the Rockets will entertain Oakland on Nov. 30 during the Thanksgiving weekend. Toledo will play four of six games in December on the road with its home contests coming vs. Marshall on Dec. 8 and Wright State on Dec. 21. The Rockets will play at Cleveland State on Dec. 4, Detroit Mercy on Dec. 14, UMKC on Dec. 17 and Bradley on Dec. 28.

"We have a few new opponents on our schedule, and I really like adding Valpo because of the proximity," Kowalczyk said. "It makes sense to play them because it's just a short bus trip. Bradley was an NCAA Tournament team last year, and I think it's a great home-and-home opportunity for us as well."

Toledo also will play two exhibition games this fall, one in Savage Arena and one on the road. The Rockets will host Hillsdale on Oct. 19 and visit Findlay on Oct. 27.

"Playing two exhibition games is important for us this year since we will have several freshmen in our rotation," Kowalczyk said. "We're going on the road to Findlay for one of our exhibitions because they are one of the best Division II programs in the country. Since we open up our season at Valpo and Marshall, I want to give our new guys an opportunity to play against a good team in a great environment. We played them two years ago and lost in a packed gym but learned some valuable lessons and went on to have a very successful season. Our goal for the exhibitions is to help us prepare for our season, and I think they will do just that."

The Rockets' Mid-American Conference schedule is expected to be announced in September. Toledo will be hosting arch-rival Bowling Green, defending MAC champion Buffalo, Kent State and Miami as well as its five West Division opponents as part of its nine-game home league slate.

Toledo captured its second-consecutive MAC West Division title last season with a 13-5 league mark. The Rockets also earned a berth into the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) by posting a 25-8 record, the second-most wins in program history. Toledo will return three starters from last year's squad – junior Marreon Jackson (11.7 ppg, 4.2 apg), senior Luke Knapke (10.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg) and senior Willie Jackson (8.5 ppg, team-high 8.9 rpg).