The Summit League announced its 2016-17 men’s basketball schedule today with each of the nine teams slated to play a 16-game double round-robin schedule beginning Wednesday, Dec. 28.
- 72 total league games, starting Dec. 28 and ending Feb. 25
- Each team plays 16 games, facing every team both home-and-away
- South Dakota State hosts North Dakota State in championship game rematch on opening night
- South Dakota (Dec. 29) and North Dakota State (Dec. 31) each play Omaha in the first Summit League games at their new arenas
- Regular-season co-champions meet for first time on Jan. 21 (Fort Wayne at South Dakota State)
The schedule tips off with a rematch of the 2016 Summit League Tournament Title Game when champion South Dakota State hosts North Dakota State. Also on opening night, Denver hosts Oral Roberts.
Defending regular season co-champion Fort Wayne opens its season the following day, on Dec. 29, by hosting Western Illinois. South Dakota hosts Omaha for the first Summit League game at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in the day’s other contest.
IUPUI is the final team to open league play, hosting Western Illinois on Saturday, Dec. 31. That same day, North Dakota State hosts Omaha in the first league game in the new Scheels Center at the Sanford Health Athletic Complex.
The Jackrabbits host Fort Wayne on Saturday, Jan. 21 in the initial meeting of the 2015-16 regular season co-champions. The Mastodons host SDSU on Saturday, Feb. 18. A second rematch of the 2016 Summit League Championship Game is set for Feb. 9 when North Dakota State hosts South Dakota State.
Saturday, Feb. 25 marks the final day of the regular season schedule. Matchups feature Denver at South Dakota State, Fort Wayne at Western Illinois, South Dakota at IUPUI, and North Dakota State at Omaha. The 2017 Summit League Men’s Basketball Championship is set for March 4-7 at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
