DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The Bethune-Cookman University men's basketball program today announced its complete 2025-26 schedule, featuring a challenging non-conference slate that includes matchups against several Power Four opponents and participation in the Sunshine Slam event which takes place locally in Daytona Beach.
 
The Wildcats, under the direction of Head Coach Reggie Theus, will open the season with an exhibition game against Florida College on October 27 at Richard V. Moore Gymnasium before embarking on a 31-game slate that includes 11 at home, and a total of 15 games in the "Sunshine State". That number includes nine (9) Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) games.
 
"We're excited about the schedule we've put together for the 2025-26 season," said Theus, who also serves as B-CU's athletic director. "Our non-conference slate will test our team early and often, which is exactly what we need to prepare for SWAC play. Playing against high-level competition like Auburn, Arizona, Miami, Missouri and others will help us to continue to grow our program and give our players invaluable experience prior to the conference season."
 
The non-conference portion of the schedule includes several marquee matchups.
 
Bethune-Cookman opens the campaign away to 2024-25 Final Four participant Auburn on Monday, Nov. 3, marking the fourth meeting all-time between the two programs. The Wildcats will then face Miami (Fla.) on November 6 in Coral Gables, facing the in-state Hurricanes for the first time since 2018, and just the fourth time since 2000. One of the season's highlights will be B-CU's participation in the Sunshine Slam, taking place November 24-25 at The Ocean Center in Daytona Beach. As a member of the four-team field, B-CU joins teams from Jacksonville, Pacific, and Stony Brook, respectively.
 
The non-conference portion of the slate also features road games at Dayton (November 15), Ohio (November 19) – which serves as a part of the MTE, as well as at Indiana (November 29) in Bloomington, with the Cats taking on the Hoosiers for the second time in the past three seasons.
 
December sees the Maroon and Gold play just five contests to end the calendar year, including a home game to former Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) adversary South Carolina State on Friday, Dec. 5. The Wildcats have defeated the Bulldogs in each of the past two seasons. Meanwhile, the Cats travel to Missouri (December 14), St. Louis (December 17), Arizona (December 22), and Oklahoma State (December 29).
 
"We want to play the best competition possible," Theus added. "Our guys need to be tested if we're going to compete for a SWAC championship and make the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. These games will show us exactly where we stand and what we need to work on as we prepare for conference play."
 
The Wildcats will play their traditional 18-game SWAC schedule, with nine home games at Moore Gym. Last season, the Cats finished the season third in the SWAC, marking their highest finish since becoming a member of the league back in 2021-22. SWAC play tips off January 3, when B-CU plays host to in-state foe Florida A&M.
 
The league home fixtures include the following: Grambling State (January 10), Southern (January 12), Jackson State (January 24), Alcorn State (January 26), Prairie View A&M (February 7), Texas Southern (February 9), Alabama State (February 19), and Alabama A&M (February 21), respectively. The regular season concludes with a visit to FAMU (March 5), before heading to Atlanta for the SWAC Tournament (March 9-14).
 
"Our conference schedule is always going to be competitive," Theus noted. "The SWAC is full of talented teams and experienced coaches. We'll need to be at our best every night, especially in those crucial home games where our fans can make a real difference."
 
Season ticket information and individual game tickets will be available through the Bethune-Cookman Athletics ticket office.
 
Follow Bethune-Cookman Men's Basketball on X/Twitter (@BCUHoops) and Instagram (@BCU_Hoops) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on X/Twitter (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) and BCUathletics.com.