Valparaiso University men's tennis coach Jim Daugherty has announced that the 2006 season will begin January 28.

The Crusaders will travel to Butler for the opener before heading to non-conference road tilts at Purdue, Western Michigan, Ball State, and DePaul. The home schedule begins on February 19 when the Brown and Gold battle Bradley at the Northwest Athletic Club.

Valpo also has home matches outdoors, at the new tennis courts, against Dayton, Wisconsin-Green Bay, and IPFW.

The Mid-Continent Conference schedule gets under way April 7 with a cluster of matches in Tulsa, Okla. before the Crusaders return to Valpo to host the second cluster April 13-15. Valpo will face Centenary, UMKC and IUPUI in home action that weekend.

The Mid-Con Tennis Championships are slated for April 21-22 in Tulsa, Okla.