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DES MOINES -- The Drake men's basketball has announced its non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season.
The non-conference slate features six games in the Knapp Center, a pair of road contests, and four neutral site matchups.
The Bulldogs open the regular season on Nov. 4 at home against Central College and then will play host to Southern University (Nov. 8), South Dakota (Nov. 13), Tarleton State (Nov. 16), and Charleston (Nov. 19) to complete a five-game homestand. The finale against Charleston, a program that has two NCAA Tournament appearances over the last four seasons, is a return game of a home-and-home series. Last season the Bulldogs went out to Charleston and defeated the Cougars, 71-62, in the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Drake's first game away from Des Moines will be against an old Missouri Valley Conference rival, Missouri State, on Nov. 21. Missouri State leads the all-time series against the Bulldogs, 49-25, but Drake was victorious both times against the Bears in Missouri State's final season in the league during the 2024-25 season.
The Thanksgiving holiday will see the Bulldogs play in the inaugural Snake River Invitational Nov. 27-29 from Idaho Falls, Idaho. Drake will face Boise State on Friday, Nov. 27, and follow with a matchup against North Dakota State on Saturday, Nov. 28. The Bulldogs close out the event against North Texas on Sunday, Nov. 29.
December opens with another road game for the Bulldogs as they travel to East Lansing, Mich., to challenge Big Ten power Michigan State on Dec. 5. The duel with the Spartans marks the first time the two programs will meet since 1965 and the third-ever trip to East Lansing for Drake.
The Bulldogs return to the Knapp Center to face North Carolina Central on Dec. 11 before heading to Kansas City on Dec. 18 to face Davidson in the NABC Hall of Fame Classic at the T-Mobile Center to close out the non-conference slate.