Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
MBB | Gaels Gearing Up for Season, Announce 2026-27 Schedule
9/1/2026 12:01:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. — A new era for Saint Mary's Men's Basketball is rooted in the tradition built as a perennial contender from the West Coast and a program with a resolve that excellence is earned.
On Tuesday, the Gaels announced their 2026-27 schedule, which will once again provide Saint Mary's the opportunity to build another nationally-respected resume, which has helped earn the program a single-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament in each of the past five seasons.
Saint Mary's, who enters the 2026-27 campaign having won four straight regular season West Coast Conference championships, opens the season with a strong nonconference schedule, including a mid-October exhibition with the Pac-12's Utah State on Oct. 17.
During the early season stretch, the Gaels will also play in quality neutral site matchups with Nevada in South Lake Tahoe (Nov. 8), UCLA in San Diego (Nov. 26) and either Georgetown or Texas (Nov. 27), and also host three teams in nonconference play, who made the 2026 NCAA Tournament in North Dakota State (Nov. 4), Saint Louis (Nov. 20) and Hofstra (Dec. 1).
The Gaels will be tested early and often as Saint Mary's builds upon its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, while being led by Gael legend and now first-year head coach Mickey McConnell, and returning the only All-WCC honoree in Joshua Dent.
Reserved and General Admission season tickets can be purchased HERE. Single game tickets will go on sale later this month. Be sure to check SMCgaels.com for details on tickets for all SMC events.
2026-27 Saint Mary's Men's Basketball Schedule
Oct. 17 vs. Utah State (EX) – Educational Heroes Night
Nov. 2 vs. Illinois State – OPENING NIGHT
Nov. 4 vs. North Dakota State – Healthcare Night
Nov. 8 Nevada (at Tahoe Blue Event Center/Stateline, Nev.)
Nov. 13 vs. UIC – Veterans & Military Appreciation Night
Nov. 16 vs. Portland State – International Night
Nov. 20 vs. Saint Louis – Alumni Night
Nov. 26 UCLA (at Jenny Craig Pavilion/San Diego, Calif.)
Nov. 27 Georgetown -OR- Texas (at Jenny Craig Pavilion/San Diego, Calif.)
Dec. 1 vs. Hofstra – Lithuania Night
Dec. 5 at Oklahoma State
Dec. 9 vs. New Mexico State – Gael Luau
Dec. 12 at New Mexico
Dec. 18 vs. Iona – Kids NIght Out
Dec. 22 vs. Harvard – Junior Gaels & Spirit/Cheer Night
Dec. 29 vs. Princeton – Lamorinda Night
Jan. 2 -OR- 3 vs. San Diego – Gaels Galaxy
Jan. 5 -OR- 6 -OR- 7 at Denver
Jan. 12 -OR- 13 -OR- 14 vs. Portland – Aquatics Night
Jan. 16 -OR- 17 at Pepperdine
Jan. 19 -OR- 20 -OR- 21 vs. Pacific – Faith & Basketball
Jan. 23 -OR- 24 vs. LMU – Australian Heritage Night
Jan. 26 -OR- 27 -OR- 28 at San Francisco
Jan. 30 -OR- 31 vs. Santa Clara – The Wide World of Gael Sports
Feb. 2 -OR- 3 -OR- 4 at Portland
Feb. 6 -OR- 7 at Seattle U
Feb. 9 -OR- 10 -OR- 11 vs. San Francisco – Celebrating Black History
Feb. 13 -OR- 14 at LMU
Feb. 16 -OR- 17 -OR- 18 at Pacific
Feb. 20 -OR- 21 vs. Pepperdine – Boots in the Pav
Feb. 23 -OR- 24 -OR- 25 vs. Seattle U – Senior Night
Feb. 27 -OR- 28 at Santa Clara
Mar. 5-9 Credit Union 1 WCC Championship (Orleans Arena/Las Vegas, Nev.)
Note: Promotional details for each of the home theme games will be shared when single-game tickets go on sale later this month.
NON-CON BY THE NUMBERS
Saint Mary's non-conference opponents amassed a combined record of 296-178 (0.624) in 2025-26, averaging 21.1 wins that season. Nine of the Gaels' 14 guaranteed nonconference opponents won at least 20 games, while 12 of the 14 had winning records. Similarly, nine of their opponents played in a postseason tournament (NCAA or NIT), with six of those teams winning at least one game in their respective postseason tournaments.
CHAMPIONS CLASH
The Gaels, who are defending West Coast Conference champions, will see four other defending conference champs. The first of those matchups will be during tip-off week, as the Gaels will see the North Dakota State Bison, defending champions of the Summit League. The Bison went 27-8 last year, and made their fifth ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The Gaels will then get back-to-back reigning conference champs in mid-November, hosting defending Big Sky champs Portland State and A-10 champions Saint Louis. The Vikings finished out the 2025-26 campaign with a 20-11 record, while the Billikens went 29-6, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in the modern tournament era. Rounding out the conference champs that the Gaels will see in non-conference play, the Hofstra Pride, reigning CAA champs, will come to town on December 1. The Pride went 24-11 last season, making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001.
OTHER NCAA TOURNAMENT FOES
A year ago, the Gaels saw one 2025 NCAA Tournament team in the non-conference slate, and only two in total, in the regular season. This year, the Gaels will see more than double that number. Along with the aforementioned matchups with North Dakota State, Saint Louis and Hofstra, the Gaels will also see UCLA as part of the Rady Children's Invitational and conference foe Santa Clara, who both made the NCAA Tournament last season. The Gaels will also have the potential for a sixth 2026 NCAA Tournament foe, with the potential of matching up with Texas in the second round of the Rady Children's Invitational.
BAY AREA RIVALRY TO ROUND OUT JANUARY AND FEBRUARY
Arguably the Gaels' biggest challenger to defend their four straight West Coast Conference titles will be the Santa Clara Broncos. The Gaels will host the Broncos on either January 30 or 31 inside UCU Pavilion, looking to move their home winning streak against their rivals to the southwest to six straight. The Gaels have been a perennial NCAA Tournament team in recent years, making each of the last five Big Dances, while the Broncos have made tremendous strides of late, making their first NCAA Tournament in three decades last year. A year ago, the Gaels enjoyed a raucous crowd inside UCU Pavilion against the Broncos, downing them 86-67 for their 25th consecutive home win. The Gaels extended that home win streak against Gonzaga three days later to clinch a share of the WCC title.
The Gaels will then close out their season on the road at the Leavey Center with another epic rivalry showdown against the Broncos. This contest has the potential to represent a WCC Regular Season Title clash ahead of the Credit Union 1 WCC Championship at Orleans Arena.
Can't wait for the 2026-27 Saint Mary's Hoops Season to get going? Reserve your season tickets here!
Tradition Built. Excellence Earned.
On Tuesday, the Gaels announced their 2026-27 schedule, which will once again provide Saint Mary's the opportunity to build another nationally-respected resume, which has helped earn the program a single-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament in each of the past five seasons.
Saint Mary's, who enters the 2026-27 campaign having won four straight regular season West Coast Conference championships, opens the season with a strong nonconference schedule, including a mid-October exhibition with the Pac-12's Utah State on Oct. 17.
During the early season stretch, the Gaels will also play in quality neutral site matchups with Nevada in South Lake Tahoe (Nov. 8), UCLA in San Diego (Nov. 26) and either Georgetown or Texas (Nov. 27), and also host three teams in nonconference play, who made the 2026 NCAA Tournament in North Dakota State (Nov. 4), Saint Louis (Nov. 20) and Hofstra (Dec. 1).
The Gaels will be tested early and often as Saint Mary's builds upon its fifth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance, while being led by Gael legend and now first-year head coach Mickey McConnell, and returning the only All-WCC honoree in Joshua Dent.
Reserved and General Admission season tickets can be purchased HERE. Single game tickets will go on sale later this month. Be sure to check SMCgaels.com for details on tickets for all SMC events.
2026-27 Saint Mary's Men's Basketball Schedule
Oct. 17 vs. Utah State (EX) – Educational Heroes Night
Nov. 2 vs. Illinois State – OPENING NIGHT
Nov. 4 vs. North Dakota State – Healthcare Night
Nov. 8 Nevada (at Tahoe Blue Event Center/Stateline, Nev.)
Nov. 13 vs. UIC – Veterans & Military Appreciation Night
Nov. 16 vs. Portland State – International Night
Nov. 20 vs. Saint Louis – Alumni Night
Nov. 26 UCLA (at Jenny Craig Pavilion/San Diego, Calif.)
Nov. 27 Georgetown -OR- Texas (at Jenny Craig Pavilion/San Diego, Calif.)
Dec. 1 vs. Hofstra – Lithuania Night
Dec. 5 at Oklahoma State
Dec. 9 vs. New Mexico State – Gael Luau
Dec. 12 at New Mexico
Dec. 18 vs. Iona – Kids NIght Out
Dec. 22 vs. Harvard – Junior Gaels & Spirit/Cheer Night
Dec. 29 vs. Princeton – Lamorinda Night
Jan. 2 -OR- 3 vs. San Diego – Gaels Galaxy
Jan. 5 -OR- 6 -OR- 7 at Denver
Jan. 12 -OR- 13 -OR- 14 vs. Portland – Aquatics Night
Jan. 16 -OR- 17 at Pepperdine
Jan. 19 -OR- 20 -OR- 21 vs. Pacific – Faith & Basketball
Jan. 23 -OR- 24 vs. LMU – Australian Heritage Night
Jan. 26 -OR- 27 -OR- 28 at San Francisco
Jan. 30 -OR- 31 vs. Santa Clara – The Wide World of Gael Sports
Feb. 2 -OR- 3 -OR- 4 at Portland
Feb. 6 -OR- 7 at Seattle U
Feb. 9 -OR- 10 -OR- 11 vs. San Francisco – Celebrating Black History
Feb. 13 -OR- 14 at LMU
Feb. 16 -OR- 17 -OR- 18 at Pacific
Feb. 20 -OR- 21 vs. Pepperdine – Boots in the Pav
Feb. 23 -OR- 24 -OR- 25 vs. Seattle U – Senior Night
Feb. 27 -OR- 28 at Santa Clara
Mar. 5-9 Credit Union 1 WCC Championship (Orleans Arena/Las Vegas, Nev.)
Note: Promotional details for each of the home theme games will be shared when single-game tickets go on sale later this month.
NON-CON BY THE NUMBERS
Saint Mary's non-conference opponents amassed a combined record of 296-178 (0.624) in 2025-26, averaging 21.1 wins that season. Nine of the Gaels' 14 guaranteed nonconference opponents won at least 20 games, while 12 of the 14 had winning records. Similarly, nine of their opponents played in a postseason tournament (NCAA or NIT), with six of those teams winning at least one game in their respective postseason tournaments.
CHAMPIONS CLASH
The Gaels, who are defending West Coast Conference champions, will see four other defending conference champs. The first of those matchups will be during tip-off week, as the Gaels will see the North Dakota State Bison, defending champions of the Summit League. The Bison went 27-8 last year, and made their fifth ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The Gaels will then get back-to-back reigning conference champs in mid-November, hosting defending Big Sky champs Portland State and A-10 champions Saint Louis. The Vikings finished out the 2025-26 campaign with a 20-11 record, while the Billikens went 29-6, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in the modern tournament era. Rounding out the conference champs that the Gaels will see in non-conference play, the Hofstra Pride, reigning CAA champs, will come to town on December 1. The Pride went 24-11 last season, making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2001.
OTHER NCAA TOURNAMENT FOES
A year ago, the Gaels saw one 2025 NCAA Tournament team in the non-conference slate, and only two in total, in the regular season. This year, the Gaels will see more than double that number. Along with the aforementioned matchups with North Dakota State, Saint Louis and Hofstra, the Gaels will also see UCLA as part of the Rady Children's Invitational and conference foe Santa Clara, who both made the NCAA Tournament last season. The Gaels will also have the potential for a sixth 2026 NCAA Tournament foe, with the potential of matching up with Texas in the second round of the Rady Children's Invitational.
BAY AREA RIVALRY TO ROUND OUT JANUARY AND FEBRUARY
Arguably the Gaels' biggest challenger to defend their four straight West Coast Conference titles will be the Santa Clara Broncos. The Gaels will host the Broncos on either January 30 or 31 inside UCU Pavilion, looking to move their home winning streak against their rivals to the southwest to six straight. The Gaels have been a perennial NCAA Tournament team in recent years, making each of the last five Big Dances, while the Broncos have made tremendous strides of late, making their first NCAA Tournament in three decades last year. A year ago, the Gaels enjoyed a raucous crowd inside UCU Pavilion against the Broncos, downing them 86-67 for their 25th consecutive home win. The Gaels extended that home win streak against Gonzaga three days later to clinch a share of the WCC title.
The Gaels will then close out their season on the road at the Leavey Center with another epic rivalry showdown against the Broncos. This contest has the potential to represent a WCC Regular Season Title clash ahead of the Credit Union 1 WCC Championship at Orleans Arena.
Can't wait for the 2026-27 Saint Mary's Hoops Season to get going? Reserve your season tickets here!
Tradition Built. Excellence Earned.
Players Mentioned
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