Northern Illinois head coach Matt Majkrzak is treating his team’s 3 a.m. Eastern Time season opener against Grambling State as a standard Sunday contest, defying the instinct to overhaul routines for the unusual schedule. As part of the Field of 68 Tip-off Marathon in Rock Hill, S.C., the Huskies are taking the graveyard shift in an eight-game event, a logistical challenge that has forced coaches from NIU, Merrimack, and High Point to get creative. Majkrzak, who has never coached a game at such an hour, decided against setting a week of late-night practices to avoid disrupting the long-term rhythm, especially with a critical matchup against Tulsa looming on Thursday.
Matt Majkrzak keeps routine steady to navigate the Field of 68’s graveyard shift.
The Huskies’ travel itinerary is tightly managed to minimize fatigue and maintain peak performance levels. The team is scheduled to fly to South Carolina at noon on Friday, requiring an 8 a.m. wake-up call to ensure they are ready for departure. Upon landing later that evening, the squad will immediately transition into a late-night practice session at 11:30 p.m. This final rehearsal will run into Saturday, allowing the players to acclimate to the venue and the specific timing of the game without sacrificing the consistency of their previous week’s training.
This strategic approach highlights the growing complexity of early-season scheduling in college basketball, where mid-major programs often face extreme tip-off times to accommodate broadcast networks. By keeping “business as usual” until the final hours before the game, Majkrzak aims to preserve his players’ mental and physical freshness. The decision underscores a broader trend among coaches like those at Merrimack and High Point, who are finding that stability in preparation is often more effective than drastic schedule shifts when facing the unique demands of the Field of 68.
Source: Mid-Major Madness
