ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The conference slate for the Drake men's basketball team has been released by the Missouri Valley Conference, the league announced. Start times and television assignments will be announced at a later period.

With the MVC now being an 11-team league, the conference portion of the schedule this season will feature 20 games with each team playing each other twice. Drake will open its conference slate with a two-game road trip to Murray State, Dec. 18, and Evansville, Dec. 21.

The Bulldogs return to Des Moines for their next two contests as it hosts preseason favorite Illinois State in the conference home opener, Dec. 29, and will begin 2026 versus Indiana State from the Knapp Center on Jan. 4.

Drake then hits the road again for three of its next four games, first challenging Bradley from Peoria, Ill. on Jan. 7. A home date with Belmont on Jan. 10 will follow the rivalry contest with the Braves and proceed another two-game road swing against Southern Illinois, Jan. 14, and UIC, Jan. 17.

The Bulldogs welcome Murray State to Des Moines in a rematch of the league opener on Jan. 21 before another road contest from Terre Haute, Ind. Jan. 24 against Indiana State. The month of January ends with two games from the Knapp Center against Evansville, Jan. 28, and Bradley, Jan. 31.

February begins with another road trip for the Bulldogs first heading to the Music City, Nashville, Tenn. to go up against Belmont on Feb. 3. The trip to Nashville will be the first for Drake since January 2024 and will be the third all-time matchup against the Bruins from the Curb Event Center. The second leg of the early February road trip sees Drake travel to Illinois State on Feb. 6.

The Knapp Center will play host to Valparaiso on Feb. 9 and UIC on Feb. 12 before the Bulldogs have their first date with in-state rival, Northern Iowa, from Cedar Falls on Feb. 15. Drake returns to Des Moines on Feb. 18 against SIU and then travels to Valpo for the final road game of the year on Feb. 25. The regular season finale will occur from the Knapp Center on March 1, as the Bulldogs host UNI for the in-state rivalry rematch.

Arch Madness will be held at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo. from March 5-8.

The complete 2025-26 season schedule for the Drake men's basketball team can be found in the link above.

2025-26 Drake Men's Basketball Conference Schedule
Dec. 18 – at Murray State – Murray, Ky.
Dec. 21 – at Evansville – Evansville, Ind.
Dec. 29 – Illinois State – Des Moines, Iowa
Jan. 4 – Indiana State – Des Moines, Iowa
Jan. 7 – at Bradley – Peoria, Ill.
Jan. 10 – Belmont – Des Moines, Iowa
Jan. 14 – at Southern Illinois – Carbondale, Ill.
Jan. 17 – at UIC – Chicago, Ill.
Jan. 21 – Murray State – Des Moines, Iowa
Jan. 24 – at Indiana State – Terre Haute, Ind.
Jan. 28 – Evansville – Des Moines, Iowa
Jan. 31 – Bradley – Des Moines, Iowa
Feb. 3 – at Belmont – Nashville, Tenn.
Feb. 6 – at Illinois State – Normal, Ill.
Feb. 9 – Valparaiso – Des Moines, Iowa
Feb. 12 – UIC – Des Moines, Iowa
Feb. 15 – at UNI – Cedar Falls, Iowa
Feb. 18 – Southern Illinois – Des Moines, Iowa
Feb. 25 – at Valparaiso – Valparaiso, Ind.
March 1 – UNI – Des Moines, Iowa
 
2025-26 Season Ticket Information:
- Season tickets are on sale now. Tickets for the 2025-26 season can be purchased here.
- Mini plan packages will go on sale on Tuesday, Oct. 14th. More information to come on the package offerings.
- Single-game tickets will go on sale on Tuesday, Oct. 21^st. Premium game ticket details will be shared at a later date.