BROOKINGS – Jackrabbit men's basketball released its 2019-20 nonleague schedule Friday, highlighted by eight regular-season home games and a pair of trips to Big Ten programs.
"We are extremely excited about our challenging schedule and look forward to being able to play eight nonconference games in front of the best fans in the country," head coach Eric Henderson said. "As we push ourselves and look to grow throughout the year, there is no doubt we look forward to playing our best basketball once the Summit League Championships begin in Sioux Falls."
South Dakota State will host Mount Marty on Oct. 30 for an exhibition, then open the regular season with a two-game homestand against UT Rio Grande Valley (Nov. 5) and Peru State (Nov. 7).
From there, the Jackrabbits open a week long road trip in the Golden State, visiting CSU Bakersfield and USC on Nov. 9 and 12, respectively. The matchup with the Roadrunners is part of the Summit League/WAC Challenge, now in its second season.
The road trip concludes with the first of two matchups against Big Ten programs, as the Jackrabbits square off with Nebraska on Nov. 15 in Lincoln.
A brief stop at home brings North Alabama to Frost Arena on Nov. 18, before SDSU heads for Tucson to face off with the Pac 12's Arizona Wildcats.
From there, home games with Mississippi Valley State (Nov. 24) and Samford (Nov. 27) dot the nonleague schedule, and SDSU concludes the opening month of the season on the road at Indiana. The trek to Bloomington is the first-ever for South Dakota State, which will take on the Hoosiers on Nov. 30 inside Assembly Hall.
December begins with the final two road games of SDSU's nonleague slate, as the Jackrabbits travel to Bozeman and Fort Collins to face Montana State (Dec. 5) and Colorado State (Dec. 10).
Home cooking is on the docket for the final three games before a Christmas break, as the Jackrabbits welcome Nebraska Kearney (Dec. 13), Florida Gulf Coast (Dec. 18) and Idaho (Dec. 21) to South Dakota. SDSU's matchup with UNK is at a location to be determined, with the final two contests taking place at Frost Arena.
South Dakota State's matchups with the Bobcats and Vandals are part of a four-year men's basketball series between the Summit League and Big Sky.
The Jackrabbits' Summit League schedule was announced mid-July and features four home games in the final month of the season. In total, SDSU has 16 home games (including the UNK matchup) and four regular-season matchups against Power Five opponents.
The Summit League Tournament is set for March 7-10 at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls.
Start times and television information for home games will be announced at a later date.
Season tickets for SDSU's 2019-20 campaign are on sale at the Jackrabbit Ticket Office, starting at $150, and include all home games on the men's and women's regular season schedules. Tickets are available online at JackrabbitTickets.com, over the phone at (605) 688-5422, or in person at the Jackrabbit Ticket Office, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
