Missouri Valley
Tracking the 2026-27 Missouri Valley Conference non-conference schedules.
Conference Play Overview: The MVC returned back to playing a double-round robin format a season ago to determine a true regular-season champion. When the league dipped to 11 teams, the format allows each squad to face the other ten foes twice. This will be the league's fifth straight season with a 20-game format.
An early window of conference play during December will once again get the juices flowing early.
Non-Conference Push: The MVC instituted a league-wide policy to play at least four Q1/Q2 opponents in non-conference play starting with the 2024-25 season. A list of forecasted eligible opponents was distributed early in the offseason to help each school ensure it could meet the new standard. The MVC has two new head coaches (Drake and Murray State) who received an exception to schedule only three such contests if they preferred not to play four. Overall, I remain excited about the approach learning how high it can help raise the league’s chances of obtaining two-bid status in the coming seasons. The other good news is that there are a lot of quality home-and-home series coming, as you’ll see in the breakdown.
The “March to the Arch” has become one of the great regular-season league races across College Basketball over the past few decades.
League Schedule
Non-Conference Schedules
Belmont
Home
Nov. 2 vs. Southern Indiana
Nov. 5 vs. Non-D1 (Centre)
Nov. 14 vs. Furman
Nov. 18 vs. Non-D1 (Union Commonwealth)
Dec. 5 vs. Middle Tennessee
Dec. 14 vs. Charleston
Road
Nov. 10 at Lipscomb
Dec. 1 at Western Kentucky
Dec. 8 at UAB
ESPN Events Invitational Kissimmee, FL
Nov. 23 vs. Yale
Nov. 24 vs. Akron
Nov. 25 vs. St. Bonaventure
Notes: The Bruins will host Western Kentucky, UAB, and Lipscomb, plus play at Furman during the 2027-28 season.
Bradley
Home
Nov. 2 vs. Non-D1 (Monmouth College)
Nov. 7 vs. Pacific
Nov. 18 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne
Nov. 28 vs. Chicago State
Dec. 1 vs. Non-D1 (Loras College)
Dec. 8 vs. Green Bay
Road
Nov. 10 at Davidson
Nov. 21 at Pacific
Dec. 4 at North Texas
Showdown in St. Pete St. Petersburg, FL
Nov. 12 vs. Coppin State
Nov. 14 vs. George Mason
Notes: The Braves will host Davidson and North Texas as part of the 2027-28 campaign.
Drake
Home
Nov. 4 vs. Non-D1 (Central)
Nov. 8 vs. Southern U.
Nov. 13 vs. South Dakota
Nov. 16 vs. Tarleton
Nov. 19 vs. Charleston
Dec. 11 vs. N.C. Central
Road
Nov. 21 at Missouri State
Dec. 5 at Michigan State
Snake River Invitational Idaho Falls, ID
Nov. 27 vs. Boise State
Nov. 28 vs. North Dakota State
Nov. 29 vs. North Texas
Hall of Fame Classic Kansas City, MO
Dec. 18 vs. Davidson
Evansville
Home
Nov. 2 vs. Non-D1 (IU Kokomo)
Nov. 14 vs. Miami-Ohio
Nov. 17 vs. Le Moyne
Nov. 30 vs. Chicago State
Dec. 5 vs. Western Kentucky
Dec. 11 vs. Non-D1 (Brescia)
Road
Nov. 10 at Middle Tennessee
Nov. 22 at Memphis
Nov. 24 at Missouri
Dec. 9 at Ball State
River City Classic Evansville, IN
Nov. 7 vs. Southern Indiana
Note: The Purple Aces will travel to Miami-Ohio during the 2027-28 season.
UIC
Home
Nov. 2 vs. Non-D1 (St. Francis - IL)
Nov. 6 vs. Robert Morris
Nov. 9 vs. UNC Greensboro
Nov. 18 vs. Chicago State
Nov. 29 vs. Canisius
Dec. 6 vs. Non-D1 (Calumet)
Dec. 18 vs. Charlotte
Road
Nov. 13 at Saint Mary’s
Dec. 12 at Milwaukee
Dec. 21 at Missouri State
Jacksonville Classic Jacksonville, FL
Nov. 22 vs. Miami-Ohio
Nov. 24 vs. Rice
Note: The Flames will host Milwaukee and Missouri State during the 2027-28 season.
Illinois State
Home
Nov. 5 vs. Non-D1 (Central State)
Nov. 17 vs. Bellarmine
Nov. 19 vs. Non-D1 (Eureka)
Dec. 10 vs. Long Beach State
Dec. 13 vs. North Dakota State
Road
Nov. 2 at Saint Mary’s
Nov. 9 at Purdue
Nov. 13 at North Dakota State
Dec. 2 at Eastern Illinois
Dec. 5 at Chicago State
Acrisure Series Palm Desert, CA
Nov. 23 vs. Santa Clara
Nov. 24 vs. Tulsa
Note: Eastern Illinois will visit Normal during the 2027-28 season.
Indiana State
Home
Nov. 2 vs. Charlotte
Nov. 11 vs. Milwaukee
Nov. 14 vs. Non-D1 (Earlham)
Nov. 28 vs. Non-D1 (IU Columbus)
Dec. 2 vs. SIU-Edwardsville
Dec. 6 vs. Southern Indiana
Road
Nov. 6 at Ball State
Dec. 12 at Oregon
Dec. 22 at Kansas
Paradise Jam U.S. Virgin Islands
Nov. 20 vs. Stephen F. Austin
Nov. 22 vs. Middle Tennessee or Temple
Nov. 23 vs. UT Martin, Southern Illinois, East Carolina, or Utah Valley
Murray State
Home
Nov. 7 vs. Northwestern State
Nov. 10 vs. Alcorn State
Nov. 13 vs. Texas Southern
Nov. 30 vs. Washington State
Dec. 2 vs. Chicago State
Dec. 9 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Road
Field of 68 Tip-off Rock Hill, SC
Nov. 2 vs. Tennessee State
Baha Mar Championship Nassau, Bahamas
Nov. 19 vs. N.C. State
Nov. 20 vs. Seton Hall or Wisconsin
Savage Brothers Showcase Southaven, MS
Nov. 17 vs. Hofstra
Bad Boy Mowers Series Nashville, TN
Dec. 6 vs. Georgia Tech
Jack Jones Classic Henderson, NV
Dec. 12 vs. Santa Clara
Northern Iowa
Home
Nov. 3 vs. Non-D1 (Cornell College)
Nov. 10 vs. Green Bay
Nov. 17 vs. Lindenwood
Nov. 28 vs. Robert Morris
Dec. 4 vs. Non-D1 (Wartburg)
Road
Nov. 7 at Furman
Nov. 13 at Michigan State
Nov. 14 at Oakland
Dec. 1 at Kansas
Dec. 11 at UC Irvine
Fort Myers Tip-off Fort Myers, FL
Nov. 23 vs. Davidson
Nov. 25 vs. Charlotte
Note: The Panthers will host UC Irvine and travel to Robert Morris during the 2027-28 campaign.
Southern Illinois
Home
Nov. 2 vs. Non-D1 (Maryville)
Nov. 12 vs. Richmond
Nov. 28 vs. Portland State
Dec. 3 vs. Washington State
Dec. 9 vs. SEMO
Road
Nov. 6 at Kansas City
Dec. 12 at Little Rock
Dec. 29 at Arizona State
Charlotte Neutral Site Charlotte, NC
Nov. 17 vs. Liberty
Paradise Jam U.S. Virgin Islands
Nov. 20 vs. UT Martin
Nov. 22 vs. Utah Valley or East Carolina
Nov. 23 vs. Temple, Stephen F. Austin, Middle Tennessee, or Indiana State
Notes: SIU will play at Washington State and at Richmond during the 2027-28 season. High Point bought out of a previous series with the Salukis and will not play in Carbondale.
Valparaiso
Home
Nov. 2 vs. Western Illinois
Nov. 16 vs. Non-D1 (CCSJ)
Nov. 28 vs. Toledo
Dec. 8 vs. Non-D1 (Saint Xavier)
Dec. 12 vs. Chicago State
Dec. 18 vs. SIU-Edwardsville
Road
Nov. 6 at Purdue
Nov. 11 at South Dakota State
Dec. 5 at UNC Wilmington
Pensacola Invitational Pensacola, FL
Nov. 21 vs. Troy
Nov. 22 vs. Southern Miss
Notes: South Dakota State will play at Valpo during the 2027-28 season. Valparaiso travels to Toledo as part of the 2027-28 season.