The Saluki men’s basketball team released their nonconference schedule for the 2025-2026 season on social media on Monday, Sept. 15, with the notable absence of any power conference teams. But that doesn’t mean that the Salukis won’t be playing top-flight opponents this fall and winter. 

“No power conference schools were willing to play us,” Saluki basketball head coach Scott Nagy wrote in an email when asked why there were no power conference teams on the schedule.

The Salukis go on the road and face two different NCAA Tournament teams from the 2024-2025 season: Nov. 26 at at-large Memphis and Dec. 3 at Big South auto-bid High Point. They also visit 2024 NCAA Tournament participant Nevada on Nov. 12. The Salukis round out the road portion of their nonconference schedule with dates at North Dakota State Nov. 17 and at Richmond Dec. 13.

One of the biggest rule changes this offseason was the fact that now teams can face off against fellow Division I teams in preseason exhibitions with fans in the stands. Thanks to that rule change, the first time that Saluki fans will be able to file into the stands at the Banterra Center will be on Oct. 17 for an exhibition against Austin Peay. The Salukis will also be travelling to St. Charles, Missouri on Oct. 29 for an exhibition contest against Lindenwood. 

When asked why the team is going to Lindenwood for the matchup, Nagy wrote in an email that Lindenwood will be returning to the Banterra Center in the 2026-2027 season for an exhibition game. 

“Going on the road for an exhibition game allows our players to get a feel for what a road game is like,” he wrote. “We felt like this was a good exhibition game for us to play on the road due to ease of travel, our large alumni base in the St. Louis area and it allows our players who are from the St. Louis area to play in their hometown.”

SIU opens up the regular season with home dates against Division II McKendree on Nov. 3 and the University of Missouri Kansas City on Nov. 7. They don’t return to the Banterra Center until Nov. 29 against the Ohio Valley Conference’s Little Rock. They round out the home portion of their nonconference schedule on Dec. 10 against another OVC foe in University of Tennessee-Martin. 

The final piece of the scheduling puzzle for the Salukis is their yearly multi-team event, or MTE. This year they are heading down to Jacksonville, Florida for the Jacksonville Classic. The Salukis will face Delaware Nov. 23 and the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Nov. 24.

The Salukis went 4-6 in last year’s nonconference schedule, and notably almost took down the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Nov. 14. before losing 85-78. 

Sports Reporter Eli Hoover can be reached at [email protected] or on Instagram at @hoovermakesart

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