UNIVERSITY CENTER, Mich. – Saginaw Valley State University men's basketball head coach Chris Fowler announced the 2026-27 schedule.

The 58^th season of Cardinal men's basketball will feature two exhibitions and 28 regular season games. SVSU will be home for 16 dates, including one exhibition, for the 2026-27 slate.

"We're excited about the challenges and opportunities our 2026-27 schedule presents. One of the things we're especially excited about is the opportunity to play a more complete non-conference schedule at home this season," said head men's basketball coach Chris Fowler. "Last year, we spent a lot of time on the road early in the year, so being able to bring quality opponents to O'Neill Arena and play in front of Cardinal Nation is something our players and staff are really looking forward to.

The Cardinals begin with an exhibition in Mount Pleasant against Central Michigan on Sunday, October 18, before the team's first appearance at home in the final exhibition game against NCAA Division III Hope on October 30.

The regular season kicks off at home on Monday, November 9, when Indiana Northwest visits O'Neill Arena. Saginaw Valley State will travel to Indianapolis on Friday, November 13, to meet the Greyhounds for the first time since 2024.

A familiar opponent in Hillsdale visits University Center on Sunday, November 15. The Chargers and Cardinals have just one meeting this season, after meeting twice the past four seasons. SVSU won both matchups last season by a combined margin of nine points and has won three of the last five meetings against Hillsdale.

Saginaw Valley State began a new tradition last season with a daytime Education Game during the women's season last year. This year, the men's team will host an 11:00 a.m. Education Game against D3 Olivet on Friday, November 20.

The Cardinals then make the short trip to Midland, Michigan for two games at rival Northwood. The first will be against Tiffin on November 24. SVSU and the host Timberwolves will then meet the following day (Nov. 25). November concludes with a home game against Ashland on the 29^th.

"That home slate is highlighted by the opportunity to welcome the defending NCAA Division II National Champion, Gannon, to University Center. Games like that are exactly what we want for our program. We want to challenge ourselves against some of the best teams in the country, and we want our fans and the Great Lakes Bay Region to have the opportunity to see high-level Division II basketball right here at home," said Fowler.

December kicks off GLIAC play with back-to-back road games against Ferris State (Dec. 3) and Davenport (Dec. 5). The Cardinals return home to host the defending NCAA Division II National Champions Gannon on Saturday, December 12, before finishing 2026 with Purdue Northwest at home on New Year's Eve.

"Our non-conference schedule is designed to test us, help us grow, and prepare us for the demands of GLIAC play. Our goal is to continue building this program the right way, compete at a high level every night, and give our fans a team they can be proud to support. We're looking forward to getting back in front of Cardinal Nation and taking another step forward together," said Fowler.

The year 2027 begins with three more home GLIAC contests with Grand Valley State on January 2, Roosevelt on January 7, and Parkside on January 9. A trip to the Upper Peninsula to face Michigan Tech (Jan. 14) and Northern Michigan (Jan. 16) follows. SVSU then returns home for a two-game stretch against Lake Superior State on January 21, and Wayne State on January 23. The Cardinals travel to Parkside (Jan. 28) and Roosevelt (Jan. 30) to end January.

The final month of the regular season features four home games and four away contests, beginning with Northern Michigan (Feb. 4) and Michigan Tech (Feb. 8) at home. SVSU then goes back to the U.P. to play Lake Superior State on the 11^th and then down to Detroit for a game at Wayne State on the 15^th. Davenport and Ferris then visit University Center on February 18 and 20, before the regular season concludes at Grand Valley State (Feb. 25) and Purdue Northwest (Feb. 27).

The GLIAC Tournament begins on March 3, with the semifinals slated for March 6, and the Championship game scheduled for March 7.

Season tickets will go on sale on August 27 at 7:00 p.m., visit the ticket page on svsucardinals.com to get yours. Pre-sale price for individuals is $75 and will jump to $100 after October 1. Courtside season tickets will be available for $220.

All GLIAC men's basketball games can be streamed on FloCollege.

The full 2026-27 schedule can be found here.