“What in the cakewalk” “truly pathetic” - College hoops fans react to Providence’s non-conference schedule for the 2024-25 season

The Providence Friars men's basketball team of the Big East conference released their non-conference schedule for the 2024-25 season on social media. The two-time national champions (1973, 1987) had a successful run last year.

They will be under the guidance of their new head coach Kim English and will begin the season against Central Connecticut State on November 4. The other matches will be against Stonehill, Hampton, Green Bay, Delaware State and BYU. The timings and television information of the matches will be announced in September.

Their non-conference schedule caught the eyes of hoops fans on social media who quickly shared their reactions.

"What in the cakewalk," said one fan.

"This is a truly pathetic no-conf schedule," said another.

Some fans called them frauds for having such an "embarrassing" schedule.

"This is embarrassing lmao," one fan wrote.

Season ticket holders also expressed their dismay and lack of excitement toward the games.

"I'm a season ticket holder and I'm not thrilled about watching that many cupcakes in Nov/Dec," said one fan.

Providence basketball sells 99% of tickets to the upcoming season

In 2022, Providence hosted an average of 10,608 fans in 17 home games. This increased to 11,113 during their successful 2023-24 run. The growth in attendance is almost certain for the coming season as they already sold 99% of their games.

Syndication: The Providence Journal

Changes in the NCAA, most notably the transfer portal and NIL deals, have limited the capacity of growing teams to build around a player. The Friars felt this as they experienced constant roster changes in the past.

They will be impacted by key player Devin Carter's decision to declare for the 2024 NBA Draft. But in spite of this, the Providence Friars are on the rise and their games have become one of the best events in Rhode Island.