LOUDONVILLE, NY – The full 2026-27 schedule for reigning Metro Conference Champion Siena Men's Basketball is now complete. The 32-game regular season slate has been finalized with the release of the 12-game non-conference schedule, with the Saints set to officially tip off on Opening Day of the 2026-27 college basketball season on Monday, Nov. 2 at Bryant.
 
The 2026-27 Siena Men's Basketball schedule features a program-record 32 regular season games – 20 Metro Conference contests plus 12 non-conference matchups – as the Saints are set to take advantage of the NCAA Division I Council ruling permitting teams to play up to a flat maximum of 32 regular season games starting with this season.
 
Siena will play a total of 15 home games in downtown Albany at MVP Arena – 14 regular season contests (10 Metro, four non-conference) plus the previously announced exhibition matchup vs. Syracuse – 11 of which are scheduled for fan and family-friendly days of Fridays (six), Saturdays (two), and Sundays (three).
 
The 12 regular season non-conference games mark the most for Siena in seven years (2018-19). Half of the Saints dozen opponents are new additions to the schedule this season.
 
The challenging non-conference docket includes two power conference tilts against BIG EAST foes, plus a pair of intriguing Atlantic 10 matchups. Four opponents won 20 or more games last season, four advanced to their respective conference's championship game, and three finished in the top-66 of the final NET rankings.
 
After starting things off with the highly-anticipated preseason showdown vs. Syracuse on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 2 p.m. at MVP Arena, Siena will officially tip off the program's 86^th season with a date against Bryant for the second straight Opening Day, set for Monday, Nov. 2 in Smithfield, Rhode Island. The Saints and Bulldogs are set for meet for the fourth straight season overall in what will supersede last year's matchup as the earliest-ever calendar season-opener in Siena Basketball history. Bryant is led by second-year head coach Jamion Christian, who previously served as the Saints Head Coach for the 2018-19 season.
 
The 2026-27 Siena Basketball regular season home-opener will feature just the third-ever meeting with Ivy League opponent Princeton on Sunday, Nov. 8 at MVP Arena. The programs previously split a home-and-home series in 2011 and 2012.
 
Just two days later, the Saints will make their longest trip of the season to face Atlantic 10 foe Dayton on Tuesday, Nov. 10. The Flyers are fresh off a 25-win season in which they advanced to the third round of the NIT. Although the programs will be meeting for just the second-time ever (2001), it will be a nostalgic return for Siena to Southwest Ohio. The Saints defeated Alcorn State in an NCAA Tournament Opening Round game in 2002 at UD Arena, before securing an historic double overtime victory over Buckeye State opponent Ohio State on the same floor in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
 
Siena, which alternates away and home contests for its first five regular season games, returns to MVP Arena to host Ivy League school Brown on Saturday, Nov. 14. The programs meet for the first straight season in what will be the Saints first Saturday regular season home game at MVP Arena in four years dating back to the Albany Cup on Nov. 12, 2022.
 
Siena faces its first of two power conference foes with a Wednesday, Nov. 18 showdown at reigning BIG EAST Regular Season and Tournament Champion St. John's. The Red Storm advanced to the Sweet 16 this past March, and finished the season ranked 10^th nationally in the final Associated Press Top-25 Poll. The Empire State foes are set to meet for just the fourth time ever and first time in 17 years.
 
The Saints will sandwich a pair of mid-major matchups in-between their tilts against BIG EAST powers, with a Saturday, Nov. 21 contest at Patriot League opponent Bucknell, and a home showcase against fellow historic Northeast mid-major Vermont on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at MVP Arena. Siena and the Bison meet for the second time in three years, while the Saints and Catamounts clash in Albany for the first time since 2012.
 
Siena concludes a jam-packed, eight-game opening month of November with another Thanksgiving Week showdown at BIG EAST opponent Seton Hall on Saturday, Nov. 28. The Saints defeated the Pirates 60-55 in the most recent meeting on Nov. 27, 2022 in the Third Place Game of the ESPN Events Invitational. This will be the first matchup between the programs in New Jersey, however, since 1974.
 
After opening Metro Conference play with the annual first weekend of December action vs. Merrimack on Friday, Dec. 4 and at Quinnipiac on Sunday, Dec. 6, Siena will resume non-conference competition with four additional games.
 
Non-conference action returns with back-to-back Cup games – the 16^th straight installment of the Br. Ed Coughlin Franciscan Cup on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at MVP Arena, followed by the Albany Cup on Saturday, Dec. 12 on the campus of America East rival UAlbany. The A-10 foe Bonnies have claimed the past three Franciscan Cup matchups, while the Saints will seek to retain the Albany Cup for a second straight season. This year's Albany Cup matchup commences a season-long, four-game road trip for Siena, featuring three straight matchups to conclude non-conference action, followed by the resumption of Metro action on Tuesday, Dec. 29 at Fairfield.
 
The Saints wrap up non-conference play with trips to CAA finalist Monmouth on Tuesday, Dec. 15 and perennial Patriot League power Colgate on Sunday, Dec. 20. Siena will then have nine days until the return of conference play on the 29^th against the Stags. Former MAAC foes for 10 seasons, the Saints and Hawks will rekindle their rivalry for the first time since 2022.
 
The Metro previously released the 20-game regular season conference schedule for reigning champion Siena last week, featuring an even split of 10 home and 10 road games, commencing with the Championship Game rematch vs. Merrimack on Friday, Dec. 4 at MVP Arena. The 2027 Metro Conference Championships return to Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey for an eighth straight season from Mar. 4-10.
 
2026-27 Siena Men's Basketball season tickets are on sale now and can be secured through the following avenues:
 
Siena Fan Relations Management Center
Renewals:                            sienasaints.com/accountmanager
New Season Tickets:           sienasaints.com/seasontix
By Phone:                             (518) 487-2202
By E-Mail:                             sienatickets2@siena.edu
Additional Information:          sienasaints.com/tickets
 
Siena Men's Basketball season ticket holder benefits include the same great seats for all home games at a cheaper rate than the per-game price, an exclusive 15% off discount to secure Siena merchandise at shopsienasaints.com, use of the Ticket Exchange Program, postseason ticket priority, and more!
 
Tip times for all 2026-27 Siena Men's Basketball home games will be announced shortly, and individual game tickets will go on sale in September.
 
Excitement surrounding Siena Men's Basketball is high following the program's seventh MAAC Tournament Championship and eighth NCAA Tournament berth this past spring. Led by new head coach Nevada Smith, the Saints return five letterwinners from last season's championship squad, while welcoming 11 newcomers featuring three transfers and eight incoming freshmen who will look to help Siena defend its crown.