LEBANON, Ill. — The men's basketball program and Head Coach George Suggs have announced its full 2026-27 season schedule on Friday, August 7th, including both conference and non-conference slates.
This will mark year number six at the helm for Suggs with an 85-60 record overall (54-46 in GLVC play), as it is his ninth season overall at McKendree. He revamped his staff in the offseason, elevating Randy Baruth to associate head coach and bringing in Alex Baughman and Caleb Burton as graduate assistant and student assistant, respectively. The team also welcomed four newcomers to the roster, as they join 11 returners back in the purple and gold.
An abundant 25 of the Bearcats' 27 regular-season contests will be streamed live and on demand exclusively on the GLVC Sports Network. Fans can get access to live broadcasts from GLVC regular-season and postseason contests, and are available via a monthly subscription ($32.00) or an annual subscription ($145.00). Single-event access (stream or download) can also be purchased for $15.00.
Season tickets will be announced in the near future. Be sure to check out the team schedule page to access each game's live stream, live stats, digital game programs, and more.
McKendree will tip-off the season with two back-to-back home invitationals, with the first of which being the annual GLVC/G-MAC Crossover that features two teams from each of the Great Lakes Valley Conference and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Bearcats will start off with Tiffin University for the fourth year in a row on Friday, November 13th at 7:30 PM CT. The next day, they will face old GLVC member Kentucky Wesleyan College at 3:00 PM CT. Lewis University will battle both G-MAC squads for their two games in the Crossover.
The second of the two invitationals in Lebanon will present the inaugural Legends Club Classic, highlighting the program's donation fund. The four-squad event will consist of the Bearcats playing Ferris State University for also a fourth consecutive year on Friday, November 20th. A matchup with Hannibal-LaGrange University will take place the following day after an ecstatic 88-51 effort by McKendree gave them the victory last year between the two old American Midwest Conference (AMC) foes.
McKendree will partake in one more regular-season multi-team event (MTE), but this time immediately hoping on a plane to Las Vegas, Nevada to compete in the D2 Jackpot Classic at the Doolittle Community Center on the campus of the College of Southern Nevada. Game one for the Bearcats will feature them take on West Texas A&M University, a team that rose as high as No.4 in the national NABC Coaches Poll last season, on Friday, November 27th at 11:00 AM CT. The team will wrap up their time in Vegas with a tilt against California State University, San Bernardino the next day at 1:15 PM CT.
Once McKendree returns to the Land of Lincoln, they will embark on their conference slate, with the first two games of such on the road. A re-appearance at Missouri S&T for the second straight year on Wednesday, December 2nd after knocking off the Miners, who were No.9 in the rankings, last year in Rolla, Missouri. From there, they will trek North-bound to Jefferson City to battle the Blue Tigers of Lincoln University (Mo.) on Saturday, December 5th.
Conference play will take a quick break in regard to the winter holidays. Yet, the Bearcats have tabbed a return game at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center, as they welcome Hillsdale College from the G-MAC on Thursday, December 17th at 7:00 PM.
GLVC action will immediately resume after the New Year's, with McKendree hosting the next three games to make it four straight played in Lebanon, and six of the slated seven. Drury University will come first on Saturday, January 2nd, followed by the University of Indianapolis on January 4th, as the Greyhounds are in their final academic year under the GLVC umbrella. Lewis will land in Bearcat territory on Thursday, January 7th for a 7:00 PM CT evening tilt.
McKendree will get to stay in-state for one more contest this cycle, as they look to vie against Quincy University at the Pepsi Arena on Saturday, January 9th.
Lincoln will face the Bearcats at McKendree for a second time in little over a month on Wednesday, January 13th before Upper Iowa University flocks into town on Saturday, January 16th. This will start the conference's new implementation of a Monday-Wednesday-Sunday scheduling mechanism.
Then, the Bearcats will take five of the next six games in enemy territory as they travel to the University of Illinois Springfield on Monday, January 18th, and to Drury on January 20th. A quick return home to face cross-river opponent Maryville University on Saturday, January 23rd at 3:00 PM CT will seek to amaze. The tail end of the mini slate will be a three-game roundabout in a seven-day span that will take place at UIndy on January 27th, at Truman State University on January 30th, and at Lewis in Romeoville on February 3rd.
McKendree will return to their friendly confines for a one-game bout against Missouri S&T on Wednesday, February 10th before hitting the road once more.
The defending GLVC Tournament champion William Jewell College will await the McKendree's arrival on Saturday, February 13th at 3:00 PM inside the Mabee Center, as the two squads matched up last year in the tournament bracket in semifinal action. The Bearcats will take an easy route back East to face the University of Missouri-St. Louis on Wednesday, February 17th on the Tritons' home grounds.
The Bearcats will put a bow on the regular-season schedule in a three-game stint on their home floor with the first of which coming against the reigning GLVC regular-season winners of Rockhurst University on Saturday, February 20th, in for what would be considered a tight battle given the recent history. An all-Illinois showdown with UIS will come up next on Wednesday, February 24th to make it seven meetings between the two schools since the end of the 2023-24 year. The program will honor a few of their outgoing players for the team's Senior Day against Southwest Baptist University at 3:00 PM CT on Saturday, February 27th.
Should the Bearcats maintain a top-eight finish in the conference standings, they will deserve a spot in the upcoming GLVC Men's Basketball Championship Tournament, which will be held from March 4th to 7th at the St. Joseph Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Missouri.
The NCAA Tournament will take place soon after, with the Midwest Regional set from March 12th to 16th at the location of the region's top seed. Winners out of the eight regions will head to the NCAA Elite Eight in Fort Wayne, Indiana, at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum to vie for the national championship from March 23rd to 27th.
FULL SCHEDULE
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