Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services
Men’s Basketball Announces 2026-27 Schedule
8/19/2026 3:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Bobcats face difficult non-conference slate in preparation for Big Sky play
BOZEMAN, Mont. – Montana State head men's basketball coach Matt Logie announced the Bobcats' complete schedule for the 2026-27 season on Wednesday afternoon.
Coming off a second-place finish in the Big Sky regular-season standings last season, the Bobcats are set to face a slew of strong opponents during the upcoming campaign as they look to make a run at their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the past six seasons.
"With every schedule build, there are a few priorities that we are trying to achieve each year," Logie said. "First and foremost, we want a variety of competitive experiences, both at home and on the road, that will prepare us for Big Sky Conference play come January and February. Home games versus Long Beach State, Cal Poly, and North Dakota, as well as a road tilt at South Dakota, will give us great experience against Big West and Summit League competition, which greatly mirrors what we will face in the Big Sky.
"Additionally, it is very important that we test ourselves early, get exposed in some ways that will spur on growth and challenge our comfort zones, while preparing us for the type of competition we hope to face in the NCAA Tournament come March. When you put a schedule together against perennial NCAA Tournament teams like Gonzaga, San Diego State, BYU, Colorado State, and High Point, you know that you are going to come out of that wash with a ton of great competitive experiences and growth opportunities.
"Additionally, because we have players from up and down the western United States, this provides an opportunity to take players home and get to compete in front of friends and family."
Montana State will compete in a pair of preseason exhibitions in preparation for regular-season play, hosting Denver inside Worthington Arena on Oct. 18 before facing Kansas City on the road on Oct. 24. The Bobcats hosted the Pioneers during last season's opening week and welcomed the Roos for a December matchup during the 2024-25 campaign, providing the Cats with a pair of familiar opponents for exhibition play.
The regular season kicks off on Nov. 2, with the Bobcats travelling to Fort Collins, Colo., to face Pac-12 newcomer Colorado State. The contest provides an opportunity for juniors Jaden Steppe and Darnez Slater to face the team with which they began their collegiate careers. The season opener marks one of five road contests for the Bobcats in November, which also includes trips to BYU (Nov. 12), Gonzaga (Nov. 17), High Point (Nov. 19), and South Dakota (Nov. 30). The Cougars, Bulldogs, and Panthers are all fresh off NCAA Tournament appearances, giving the Bobcats an early test against quality opponents. Montana State and High Point will square off for the first time in program history.
Montana State hosts its first home game on Nov. 7, welcoming Long Beach State to town. The November home slate also features games against Cal Poly on Nov. 15 and Northwest Indian College on Nov. 25. The Bobcats defeated all three teams last season, besting Northwest Indian College, 114-44, in the home opener before defeating Long Beach State, 78-72, and Cal Poly, 83-80, on the road.
Big Sky play comes early for the Bobcats this year, who will travel to Flagstaff, Ariz., to face Northern Arizona in the conference opener on Dec. 5. The Cats will then compete against four more non-conference opponents to wrap up non-league play, the first two of which will mark first-time matchups for the Bobcats. Montana State hosts West Coast Baptist on Dec. 7 before making its first-ever trip to San Diego State on Dec. 11, where it will face its second Pac-12 opponent of the season. The Cats return to Worthington Arena to kick off a season-long four-game homestand by facing North Dakota on Dec. 20, marking the second of two games (South Dakota) for the Bobcats against Summit League opponents as part of an eight-team, four-year agreement between the two conferences, announced in February. Non-conference play wraps up against Northwest in Worthington Arena for the second-straight year, with the two teams facing off on Dec. 22.
The Bobcats will return to Big Sky play on Dec. 31, hosting Portland before welcoming Northern Colorado to Bozeman on Jan. 2. The Cats are set to play nine games in January, including six games in Worthington Arena and three on the road. The Cats will travel to Idaho State (Jan. 7) and Weber State (Jan. 9) before returning home to face Eastern Washington (Jan. 14) and Idaho (Jan. 16). Montana State's first game against Southern Utah since the 2023-24 non-conference season takes place in Cedar City, Utah, on Jan. 18, as the Thunderbirds return to the Big Sky Conference after departing for the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) following the 2021-22 season. The Bobcats wrap up January with three-straight home games, hosting in-state rival Montana on Jan. 23, followed by Big Sky newcomer Utah Tech on Jan. 25 and Northern Arizona on Jan. 28.
The Cats will hit the road for six of their final nine regular-season games, opening February with road tilts at Northern Colorado (Feb. 4), Portland State (Feb. 6), Idaho (Feb. 11), and Eastern Washington (Feb. 13). The Bobcats host Weber State (Feb. 18), Idaho State (Feb. 20), and Southern Utah (Feb. 22) in their final three home games of the season to cap off their 16-game slate in Worthington Arena. The Bobcats will head to Missoula, Mont., for their second meeting with Montana on Feb. 27 before capping off the regular season in St. George, Utah, against Utah Tech on March 1.
The Big Sky Tournament will be held at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho, on March 5-10, featuring all 11 Big Sky teams. The six-day Starch Madness tournament will open with a first-round game between the No. 10 and No. 11 seeds on Friday, March 5, followed by two second-round contests on Saturday, March 6. Two quarterfinal games each will take place on Sunday, March 7, and Monday, March 8, followed by the semifinal game on March 9 and the championship on March 10. The Big Sky Tournament Champion will earn the right to play in the expanded 76-team NCAA Tournament later that month, with Selection Sunday taking place on March 14.
The Bobcats are set to retain 10 players from their 2025-26 Big Sky regular-season runner-up team, including Big Sky All-Defensive Team member Jeremiah Davis and All-Big Sky Honorable Mention Christian King. Montana State also welcomes three transfers – Isaiah Crane, London Praytor, and Darnez Slater – and freshmen Hale Hansen and DJ Johnson to round out the 15-player roster.
The Cats expanded their coaching staff to six members this offseason, with three coaches earning new titles for the upcoming campaign. Logie was signed to a four-year extension earlier today, which will keep him as the head coach of the Bobcats through the 2029-30 season. Zach Payne and Sam Scholl earned promotions to Associate Head Coach after serving as assistant coaches on Logie's staff for the past three seasons. Montana State's three assistant coaches in 2026-27 include former Bobcat player Xavier Bishop; Shamrock Campbell, who was elevated from his previous roll as Director of Basketball Operations this summer; and Kenny Love, who is entering his first year on staff this fall.
The web version of the 2026-27 schedule can be found here. Ticket information is available here.
Follow the Bobcats
For the latest news, updates, and behind-the-scenes coverage of the Montana State men's basketball team, follow the Bobcats on Twitter and Instagram at @MSUBobcatsMBB and on Facebook at Montana State Men's Basketball. Information on the Montana State athletic program can be found online at msubobcats.com or by following the Bobcats on Twitter at @MSUBobcats, Instagram at @MontanaStateBobcats, and on Facebook at Montana State Bobcats.
Coming off a second-place finish in the Big Sky regular-season standings last season, the Bobcats are set to face a slew of strong opponents during the upcoming campaign as they look to make a run at their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the past six seasons.
"With every schedule build, there are a few priorities that we are trying to achieve each year," Logie said. "First and foremost, we want a variety of competitive experiences, both at home and on the road, that will prepare us for Big Sky Conference play come January and February. Home games versus Long Beach State, Cal Poly, and North Dakota, as well as a road tilt at South Dakota, will give us great experience against Big West and Summit League competition, which greatly mirrors what we will face in the Big Sky.
"Additionally, it is very important that we test ourselves early, get exposed in some ways that will spur on growth and challenge our comfort zones, while preparing us for the type of competition we hope to face in the NCAA Tournament come March. When you put a schedule together against perennial NCAA Tournament teams like Gonzaga, San Diego State, BYU, Colorado State, and High Point, you know that you are going to come out of that wash with a ton of great competitive experiences and growth opportunities.
"Additionally, because we have players from up and down the western United States, this provides an opportunity to take players home and get to compete in front of friends and family."
Montana State will compete in a pair of preseason exhibitions in preparation for regular-season play, hosting Denver inside Worthington Arena on Oct. 18 before facing Kansas City on the road on Oct. 24. The Bobcats hosted the Pioneers during last season's opening week and welcomed the Roos for a December matchup during the 2024-25 campaign, providing the Cats with a pair of familiar opponents for exhibition play.
The regular season kicks off on Nov. 2, with the Bobcats travelling to Fort Collins, Colo., to face Pac-12 newcomer Colorado State. The contest provides an opportunity for juniors Jaden Steppe and Darnez Slater to face the team with which they began their collegiate careers. The season opener marks one of five road contests for the Bobcats in November, which also includes trips to BYU (Nov. 12), Gonzaga (Nov. 17), High Point (Nov. 19), and South Dakota (Nov. 30). The Cougars, Bulldogs, and Panthers are all fresh off NCAA Tournament appearances, giving the Bobcats an early test against quality opponents. Montana State and High Point will square off for the first time in program history.
Montana State hosts its first home game on Nov. 7, welcoming Long Beach State to town. The November home slate also features games against Cal Poly on Nov. 15 and Northwest Indian College on Nov. 25. The Bobcats defeated all three teams last season, besting Northwest Indian College, 114-44, in the home opener before defeating Long Beach State, 78-72, and Cal Poly, 83-80, on the road.
Big Sky play comes early for the Bobcats this year, who will travel to Flagstaff, Ariz., to face Northern Arizona in the conference opener on Dec. 5. The Cats will then compete against four more non-conference opponents to wrap up non-league play, the first two of which will mark first-time matchups for the Bobcats. Montana State hosts West Coast Baptist on Dec. 7 before making its first-ever trip to San Diego State on Dec. 11, where it will face its second Pac-12 opponent of the season. The Cats return to Worthington Arena to kick off a season-long four-game homestand by facing North Dakota on Dec. 20, marking the second of two games (South Dakota) for the Bobcats against Summit League opponents as part of an eight-team, four-year agreement between the two conferences, announced in February. Non-conference play wraps up against Northwest in Worthington Arena for the second-straight year, with the two teams facing off on Dec. 22.
The Bobcats will return to Big Sky play on Dec. 31, hosting Portland before welcoming Northern Colorado to Bozeman on Jan. 2. The Cats are set to play nine games in January, including six games in Worthington Arena and three on the road. The Cats will travel to Idaho State (Jan. 7) and Weber State (Jan. 9) before returning home to face Eastern Washington (Jan. 14) and Idaho (Jan. 16). Montana State's first game against Southern Utah since the 2023-24 non-conference season takes place in Cedar City, Utah, on Jan. 18, as the Thunderbirds return to the Big Sky Conference after departing for the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) following the 2021-22 season. The Bobcats wrap up January with three-straight home games, hosting in-state rival Montana on Jan. 23, followed by Big Sky newcomer Utah Tech on Jan. 25 and Northern Arizona on Jan. 28.
The Cats will hit the road for six of their final nine regular-season games, opening February with road tilts at Northern Colorado (Feb. 4), Portland State (Feb. 6), Idaho (Feb. 11), and Eastern Washington (Feb. 13). The Bobcats host Weber State (Feb. 18), Idaho State (Feb. 20), and Southern Utah (Feb. 22) in their final three home games of the season to cap off their 16-game slate in Worthington Arena. The Bobcats will head to Missoula, Mont., for their second meeting with Montana on Feb. 27 before capping off the regular season in St. George, Utah, against Utah Tech on March 1.
The Big Sky Tournament will be held at Idaho Central Arena in Boise, Idaho, on March 5-10, featuring all 11 Big Sky teams. The six-day Starch Madness tournament will open with a first-round game between the No. 10 and No. 11 seeds on Friday, March 5, followed by two second-round contests on Saturday, March 6. Two quarterfinal games each will take place on Sunday, March 7, and Monday, March 8, followed by the semifinal game on March 9 and the championship on March 10. The Big Sky Tournament Champion will earn the right to play in the expanded 76-team NCAA Tournament later that month, with Selection Sunday taking place on March 14.
The Bobcats are set to retain 10 players from their 2025-26 Big Sky regular-season runner-up team, including Big Sky All-Defensive Team member Jeremiah Davis and All-Big Sky Honorable Mention Christian King. Montana State also welcomes three transfers – Isaiah Crane, London Praytor, and Darnez Slater – and freshmen Hale Hansen and DJ Johnson to round out the 15-player roster.
The Cats expanded their coaching staff to six members this offseason, with three coaches earning new titles for the upcoming campaign. Logie was signed to a four-year extension earlier today, which will keep him as the head coach of the Bobcats through the 2029-30 season. Zach Payne and Sam Scholl earned promotions to Associate Head Coach after serving as assistant coaches on Logie's staff for the past three seasons. Montana State's three assistant coaches in 2026-27 include former Bobcat player Xavier Bishop; Shamrock Campbell, who was elevated from his previous roll as Director of Basketball Operations this summer; and Kenny Love, who is entering his first year on staff this fall.
The web version of the 2026-27 schedule can be found here. Ticket information is available here.
Follow the Bobcats
For the latest news, updates, and behind-the-scenes coverage of the Montana State men's basketball team, follow the Bobcats on Twitter and Instagram at @MSUBobcatsMBB and on Facebook at Montana State Men's Basketball. Information on the Montana State athletic program can be found online at msubobcats.com or by following the Bobcats on Twitter at @MSUBobcats, Instagram at @MontanaStateBobcats, and on Facebook at Montana State Bobcats.
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