MOSCOW, Idaho – Idaho and Eastern Washington basketball are taking the next step toward enhancing the local series, moving the yearly meetings to doubleheaders for the 2017-18 season.
 
The first such meeting will take place on Friday, January 12, in Cheney, with the women's game tipping off at 5 p.m. and the men following at 7:30.  The series will make its way south to Moscow on Friday, February 9.
 
"I think it is great," said women's basketball head coach Jon Newlee.  "It is something that we have been wanting to do. It is great that all the programs could get together and come to an agreement that is in the best interest for all of our fans. Having all of us in one venue, twice a year, will be fantastic for our fans and boosters. It will really help enhance the atmosphere in this series."
 
"It's a great move for the communities and for the fans of the programs," said head men's basketball coach Don Verlin.  "We got the ball moving last year by switching the men's game to Friday nights and we saw the impact right away.  To now have all four teams playing in the same venue on the same night is just the right move for everyone involved."
 
The men have met a total of eight times in the three years since Idaho rejoined the Big Sky Conference, including a pair of meetings in the Big Sky Tournament.  The women have met nine times, including four matchups in 2016-17.   All four teams advanced to postseason tournaments last year, with Idaho's women knocking out EWU in the quarterfinals of the Women's Basketball Invitational.
 
The women's non-conference schedule will be released in full on Friday. Idaho will open the Big Sky season at home against North Dakota on Dec. 28.  The Idaho men's schedule is still being finalized but will be released in the coming weeks.  All conference games have already been set and can be found at BigSkyConf.com.
 
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho men's basketball by following the team on twitter, @VandalHoops. Also keep up to date with the women's team @VandalsWBB on Twitter and Instagram. 

For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com.  Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.