Siena and the University at Albany have decided to play the Albany Cup game ... nowhere.

Unable to agree upon a venue, the Great Danes and Saints announced Thursday they're putting their men's basketball rivalry on hiatus for the 2018-19 season with no assurances when or if it will be played again.

They've met for 17 consecutive years at the Division I level with 16 of those contests held at Times Union Center, Siena's home court. The Siena men were 10-7 in those meetings, though UAlbany won five of the past six.

The only exception came when the 2016-17 edition was played before a sellout crowd of 4,538 at UAlbany's SEFCU Arena.

Siena wants the event played exclusively at downtown Times Union Center, which can accommodate the crowds of 9,000-plus that show up annually for the Albany Cup. UAlbany insists it's only fair to play the nonleague rivalry at SEFCU Arena every other year.

Siena athletic director John D'Argenio and his UAlbany counterpart Mark Benson said they spoke by phone twice this week but couldn't reach an agreement. The women's game also won't be played.

"With all due respect to them, and I have great respect for Mark and his professionalism, we just felt that it's a game that should be played at Times Union Center, given how many people want to see it," D'Argenio said.

"It's very important the game be played at SEFCU Arena," Benson said. "To our student-athletes, our basketball team, our fans, our students. I think it is very important. ... Most rivalry series are played home-and-home, across the country, regardless of distance, size of the venue."

Both sides said they'd be open to discussing a resumption of the rivalry in future seasons.

"I'm disappointed we're not playing," Benson said. "I think it's a great college basketball rivalry. I think our proximity fuels that rivalry ... I'm hopeful we'll pick it back up in the future."

When in the future that might be is unclear.

"Well, somebody would have to move off their position, right?" D'Argenio said. "Something would have to change drastically. Maybe when you step away from it a little bit, maybe we both look at it differently."

The rivalry looked like it might end in 2015, but then Siena and UAlbany agreed to a three-year contract that included the first-ever meeting at SEFCU in 2016. The Great Danes won that game 81-72.

Then UAlbany beat Siena 74-69 at Times Union Center last season. For the first time, the game wasn't on Siena's season-ticket package, which allowed UAlbany fans to get better seats.

Even though it was the highest-attended game of the season, D'Argenio said he doesn't think losing the Albany Cup will hurt Siena that much financially. The Saints still have an opening for one game on their 2018-19 schedule.

"We're going to have the same number of home games," he said. "You don't have that one big crowd, but if we were playing (at UAlbany) every other year, I don't know if it has that big an impact on us. It's not inexpensive to put a game on. So I think we'll be OK."

UAlbany coach Will Brown has taken part in every meeting with Siena at the Division I level, while new Saints coach Jamion Christian won't get an introduction to the rivalry this season.

"I've been fortunate because I've been a part of this game for a long time and I think it's a great game," Brown said. "It really is. I enjoy playing the game.

"I think we as a basketball program, me as the coach and our athletes want to play the game. I just think any series or rivalry, I don't know of another series where you're not playing home-and-home in each other's venue."

UAlbany will play six home nonconference games at SEFCU Arena next season, hosting SUNY-Oneonta on Nov. 6, Boston University on Nov. 14, Holy Cross on Nov. 20, Monmouth on Dec. 8, Dartmouth on Dec. 15, and Manhattan on Dec. 20.

Siena will open its home schedule at Times Union Center on Nov. 21 against Lehigh. The Saints will also play host to Colgate on Nov. 24, College of Charleston on Dec. 18, and Cal Poly on Dec. 29.

The Saints will open the season on the road, playing at Providence on Nov. 6 and George Washington Nov. 8 as part of the 2018 Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament. They'll face Norfolk State and either Stony Brook or Holy Cross on Nov. 17 or Nov. 18 as the tournament concludes at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Siena will also visit Hofstra on Nov. 28, St. Bonaventure on Dec. 5, and Robert Morris (Pa.) on Dec. 8.

The Great Danes will play nine nonconference games on the road, including a pair of games in the second edition of the Belfast Classic in Belfast, Northern Ireland, against LIU-Brooklyn on Nov. 29 and Dartmouth or Marist on Nov. 30.

UAlbany will also be visiting Iona on Nov. 9, at Canisius Nov. 17, Wisconsin-Milwaukee Nov. 23, Yale on Dec. 11, Providence on Dec. 18, Kent State on Dec. 28, and Niagara on Dec. 31.

msingelais@timesunion.com ■ 518-454-5509 ■ @MarkSingelais