News

MOUNT VERNON, Ohio - The Mount Vernon Nazarene University men's basketball team will host Athletes in Action on Monday, October 27, at 7:30 p.m. in an exhibition game as the Cougars make final preparations for the 2003-2004 hoops season.

AIA teams are made up of former college and professional players who travel throughout the country and around the world playing mainly NCAA Division I schools and sharing their testimonies. The mission of AIA is to use the platform of sports as a way to spread the Gospel.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for our team and our university," said MVNU head coach Scott Flemming. "We are the only small college team in the entire country that is playing the AIA basketball team this year. Obviously, we are a warm-up for them before they play the likes of Indiana, Wake Forest, Iowa, Valparaiso, and Alabama."

"This is a great challenge for us," Flemming added. "We play this game for two reasons. First, it is beneficial for us to play such a talented team in a game-like setting before our real season begins. Secondly, I appreciate the Christian ministry that AIA has to my team and to all those who attend the game. They play sports for the right reason."

Admission to the game will be $2 for students and $4 for adults. All proceeds from the event will go directly to AIA to help with their ministry.

MVNU, which went 20-13 last year for its sixth 20-win season in the past seven years, will kick off the 2003-2004 season at the Berea (Ky.) College Tournament on November 7-8.