CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois men’s basketball head coach Bryan Mullins unveiled his team’s 2023-24 non-conference schedule on Thursday. The 11-game slate features highly anticipated home matchups versus Saint Louis (Dec. 2) and Oklahoma State (Dec. 5).
Including 10 Missouri Valley Conference dates to be announced later this month, the Salukis will host a total of 18 games at Banterra Center – the most home games in program history. Season tickets are the only way to guarantee seats for the marquee matchups and start at just $125.
“I am looking forward to another special season inside the Banterra Center,” Mullins said. “I believe this will provide tons of early challenges and will help us get ready for the Valley season. I want to thank our Athletic Director Tim Leonard for his guidance and support throughout this scheduling process.”
“Our fan support, along with the Dawg Pound, has been growing every year, and we wanted to make sure to capitalize on it with these additional home dates,” Mullins added. “The Banterra Center has a ton of magic left in it and we can’t wait to create some more.”
Southern will open its regular season with three-straight home games in the span of 10 days – Kentucky State (Nov. 6), Queens (Nov. 10) and Chicago State (Nov. 16).
Next, the Salukis travel to Mexico for two games in the Cancun Challenge versus James Madison (Nov. 21) and either Fresno State or New Mexico State on Nov. 22. Both games will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
“The Cancun Challenge is one of the most well-respected tournaments in the country,” Mullins said. “It has a great history of top Valley programs playing in it.”
SIU returns to Carbondale to face Saint Louis on December 2, marking the first home date versus the Billikens since 2018.
On Dec. 5, the Salukis host Oklahoma State, the first visit by a Power Five opponent since SIU beat the Cowboys during the NIT in 2008. The game is a rematch of last year’s Saluki win at OSU in Stillwater.
“It has been a goal to have a Power Five team come to Carbondale, and I’m thrilled to be able to provide this rare game to Saluki Nation,” Mullins said of the OSU contest. “To have SLU and Oklahoma State as back-to-back home games is a special opportunity for this program.”
Southern hosts Austin Peay on Dec. 12 before traveling to former Valley member Wichita State on Dec. 16. It will mark the first game against the Shockers since the 2016-17 season.
“Wichita State will be a tremendous opportunity for us to see how we handle a hostile environment,” Mullins said.
SIU hosts North Dakota State on Dec. 19 and Southern Indiana on Dec. 22 to wrap up the non-conference slate.
Tip times and television assignments will be determined at a later date. The Missouri Valley Conference will release the conference schedule in the coming weeks.