MARIETTA, Ohio — While the 2016-17 National Champion was crowned less than two weeks ago, plans are well underway for one of the premier Division III events of the 2017-18 men's basketball season.

The game schedule has been set for the inaugural Great Lakes Invitational to be hosted by Marietta College November 17-18, 2017. Joining the Pioneers in Ban Johnson Arena will be Hope College (Mich.), Mount St. Joseph University, Wittenberg University, Birmingham-Southern College (Ala.), Dickinson College (Pa.), St. John Fisher College (N.Y.) and the University of St. Thomas (Minn.).

All eight teams posted records of .500 or better this season and four played in the NCAA Tournament. St. Thomas lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament this year, while St. John Fisher bowed out in the second round. Marietta and Hope both made it to the Sweet 16.

The Great Lakes Invitational game schedule follows with each school's 2016-17 final record in parenthesis.

Friday, November 17, 2017:
2:00 p.m. — Wittenberg (18-9) vs. Mount St. Joseph (20-7)
4:00 p.m. — Birmingham-Southern (14-14) vs. St. John Fisher (23-6)
6:00 p.m. — St. Thomas (19-8) vs. Dickinson (16-11)
8:00 p.m. — Marietta (26-5) vs. (Hope (23-7)

Saturday, November 18, 2017:
1:00 p.m. — Wittenberg vs. Birmingham-Southern
3:00 p.m. — Hope vs. St. John Fisher
5:00 p.m. — Mount St. Joseph vs. Dickinson
7:00 p.m. — Marietta vs. St. Thomas