NIU basketball team to open season at Marquette

DEKALB, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) [NIU News Release] — Fifteen home games and the inaugural Mid-American Conference/Sun Belt Challenge highlight the 31-game Northern Illinois University men’s basketball schedule, announced on Wednesday (Aug. 23).

“We are very excited about our schedule for this season,” said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. “Our non-conference schedule includes a number of quality opponents at home as well as high-level, local opponents on the road. The non-conference will provide a good test for us as we prepare for the challenge of Mid-American Conference play. I can’t wait to get the new season started.”

The Huskies will open the 2023-24 campaign on the road at Marquette on Monday, Nov. 6. The defending Big East Regular Season and Tournament champions, Marquette won 29 games a season ago.

Five days later, NIU will welcome Appalachian State to the Convocation Center in the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 11. The matchup, which was announced in June, will be the first all-time meeting between the Huskies and Mountaineers.

NIU’s longest stretch of games away from home begins with a trip to Georgia State in Atlanta for a two-game tournament on Nov. 17-18. The Huskies will then play back-to-back road games in Chicagoland just after Thanksgiving as they travel to DePaul on Saturday, Nov. 25, and Northwestern on Monday, Nov. 27.

The month of December begins with a home date against Indiana State on Tuesday, Dec. 5. The Huskies defeated the Sycamores, who won 23 games a season ago, 67-57 last year in Terre Haute. NIU will travel to the State of New Jersey on Saturday, Dec. 9, as the Huskies face Monmouth.

NIU will finish the calendar year with a pair of games against schools from the State of Iowa as the Huskies welcome Northern Iowa to DeKalb on Thursday, Dec. 21, before traveling to Iowa on Friday, Dec. 29, to face the Hawkeyes.

For the second consecutive season, NIU will open league play against Akron as the Huskies welcome the Zips to DeKalb for the league opener on Tuesday, Jan. 2.

Following trips to Ohio (Jan. 6) and Western Michigan (Jan. 9), the Huskies will host three consecutive games in the NIU Convocation Center, beginning with a visit from Bowling Green on Saturday, Jan. 13. Defending conference tournament champion Kent State comes to NIU on Tuesday, Jan. 16, followed by defending conference regular season champion Toledo on Tuesday, Jan. 23.

The Huskies will head on the road for three of the next four, beginning with visits to Ball State (Jan. 27) and Central Michigan (Jan. 30). NIU will host Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 3 before heading to Oxford, Ohio to face Miami on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

Each school in the MAC will play a road game in the MAC/Sun Belt Challenge on Saturday, Feb. 10, with matchups to be determined in January.

When the Huskies return to league play, NIU will play three of four at home, beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 13, as Buffalo comes to DeKalb. Following a trip to Kent State (Feb. 17), NIU will host Ball State on Tuesday, Feb. 20 and Ohio on Saturday, Feb. 24.

NIU’s league campaign closes with three of four on the road as the Huskies close February by traveling to Toledo (Feb. 27). The month of March opens with a road game at Akron (March 2) before the Huskies host Central Michigan in the home finale on Tuesday, March 5. NIU wraps up the regular season with a visit to Buffalo on Friday, March 8.

Complete Schedule for 2023-34

DAY DATE OPPONENT LOCATION
Wednesday November 1 Illinois Wesleyan (Exhibition) DeKalb, Ill.
Monday November 6 at Marquette Milwaukee, Wis.
Saturday November 11 Appalachian State DeKalb, Ill.
Monday November 13 Illinois Tech DeKalb, Ill.
Friday-Saturday November 17-18 Georgia State Tournament Atlanta, Ga.
Saturday November 25 at DePaul Chicago, Ill.
Monday November 27 at Northwestern Evanston, Ill.
Tuesday December 5 Indiana State DeKalb, Ill.
Saturday December 9 at Monmouth West Long Branch, N.J.
Monday December 18 Calumet College DeKalb, Ill.
Thursday December 21 Northern Iowa DeKalb, Ill.
Friday December 29 at Iowa Iowa City, Iowa
Tuesday January 2 Akron* DeKalb, Ill.
Saturday January 6 at Ohio* Athens, Ohio
Tuesday January 9 at Western Michigan* Kalamazoo, Mich.
Saturday January 13 Bowling Green* DeKalb, Ill.
Tuesday January 16 Kent State* DeKalb, Ill.
Tuesday January 23 Toledo* DeKalb, Ill.
Saturday January 27 at Ball State* Muncie, Ind.
Tuesday January 30 at Central Michigan* Mount Pleasant, Mich.
Saturday February 3 Eastern Michigan* DeKalb, Ill.
Tuesday February 6 at Miami* Oxford, Ohio
Saturday February 10 MAC/Sun Belt Challenge away (site TBD)
Tuesday February 13 Buffalo* DeKalb, Ill.
Saturday February 17 at Kent State* Kent, Ohio
Tuesday February 20 Ball State* DeKalb, Ill.
Saturday February 24 Ohio* DeKalb, Ill.
Tuesday February 27 at Toledo* Toledo, Ohio
Saturday March 2 at Akron* Akron, Ohio
Tuesday March 5 Central Michigan* DeKalb, Ill.
Friday March 8 at Buffalo* Buffalo, N.Y.
Thurs-Sat March 14-16 MAC Tournament
Home games in bold