The date has been set for the Butler men’s basketball team’s arrival in the Big East with the release of the 2013-2014 schedule last Thursday.

The Bulldogs will kick off Big East play with a New Year’s Eve home game against Villanova Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m.

The game is one of five that will air consecutively on New Year’s Eve on FOX Sports 1 to commemorate the first conference matchups of the new Big East. Xavier hosts St. John’s in the opening game at noon, followed by Seton Hall at Providence at 2:30 p.m., DePaul at Georgetown at 5 p.m., Villanova at Butler, and Marquette at Creighton at 10 p.m.

Butler will play a total of 18 conference games this season, playing against each Big East opponent twice.

The Bulldogs will host a rubber match with Marquette on Jan. 18, after splitting a pair of dramatic games last season. The Bulldogs beat the Golden Eagles at the buzzer in the Maui Invitational, while Marquette ended Butler’s season in a two-point game in the NCAA tournament. Butler hosts former Atlantic 10 Conference rival Xavier on Feb. 11.

Butler begins the regular season with a home game against Lamar on Nov. 9.

The Bulldogs will participate in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla. during Thanksgiving break from Nov. 28 to Dec. 1. Butler will face Washington State in the tournament’s first round and will face the winner of Oklahoma State and Purdue in the semifinals.

The Bulldogs are guaranteed to face Purdue in the third annual Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Dec. 14.

FOX Sports 1 will broadcast 16 Butler games this season as part of the Big East’s TV deal with the network.

The Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York begins March 12 with first round games and culminates with the Big East Championship Game on March 15.