2026-27 Conference Crossovers

[Stanger86]

Schedules should be starting to come out, so we should start piecing together a list of crossover weekends taking place.

Opening weekend Nov. 14-15, Concordia-St. Paul and fellow NSIC program Southwest Minnesota State will be hosting Fort Hays State and Nebraska-Kearney in St. Paul.
Second weekend Nov. 20-21, SMSU will play in Maryville against host Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western State.

[Inkblot]

The rules have changed this year so that anyone who counts as an in-region opponent can be scheduled in an opening-weekend region challenge (which, by rule, don't count towards the maximum number of games), even if they're not in the same region for selections. That means that e.g. anyone in the Central Region could play a Missouri GLVC team. I'm curious to see whether anyone takes advantage of that.

[laker]

MSU posted their men's schedule today. NSIC-MIAA in Kansas City. Nov. 13th at noon vs Missouri S&T, Nov. 14th at 4 vs Washburn. It didn't say who the other NSIC team was.

Which other schools have posted their schedules? I'm not in basketball mode yet- not even in football mode but that is coming.

2026-27 Men's Basketball Schedule - Minnesota State University - Mankato Athletics

[Tech Boys]

Arkansas Tech / Southwestern Oklahoma State
vs
Missouri Southern State / Newman

November 13-14

Wichita, KS

This is the third year for this group. It started in Russellville, AR then Joplin, MO last year. Maybe we'll be together again in Weatherford, OK next year.

[Stanger86]

MSU posted their men's schedule today. NSIC-MIAA in Kansas City. Nov. 13th at noon vs Missouri S&T, Nov. 14th at 4 vs Washburn. It didn't say who the other NSIC team was.

Sioux Falls is one of them.

[Stanger86]

Southern Nazarene has one Nov 13-14, UMary, Black Hills and SD Mines are there
Central OK hosting Nov 13-14, including NWOSU and Crookston
Sioux Falls hosting Black Hills and Chadron Nov 20-21

[Stanger86]

Second weekend Nov. 20-21, SMSU will play in Maryville against host Northwest Missouri State and Missouri Western State.

University of Mary is also at this.

[Stanger86]

Which other schools have posted their schedules? I'm not in basketball mode yet- not even in football mode but that is coming.

UMary, UMC, MSU, SMSU, USF I believe are the ones so far

[laker]

UMary, UMC, MSU, SMSU, USF I believe are the ones so far

One thing that I saw on the MSU schedule- the men will play first all season for NSIC games? Why is that? Last year they switched part way through. Years ago talking to the women's players they said that they preferred to go first- that it was helpful to have people coming in late in a close game for the noise- and disheartening to have so many people leave after the men's game.

[Stanger86]

One thing that I saw on the MSU schedule- the men will play first all season for NSIC games? Why is that? Last year they switched part way through. Years ago talking to the women's players they said that they preferred to go first- that it was helpful to have people coming in late in a close game for the noise- and disheartening to have so many people leave after the men's game.

A far bigger stain to the league than adding Jamestown imo

[Inkblot]

The rules have changed this year so that anyone who counts as an in-region opponent can be scheduled in an opening-weekend region challenge (which, by rule, don't count towards the maximum number of games), even if they're not in the same region for selections. That means that e.g. anyone in the Central Region could play a Missouri GLVC team. I'm curious to see whether anyone takes advantage of that.

It looks like the answer is yes, with Missouri S&T, Black Hills State, and South Dakota Mines all participating in challenges against Central teams. It also appears that Oklahoma Christian will be the fourth team at the UCO event.

EDIT: Found another one: Drury will host an event where they and Southwest Baptist will face Harding and Union (TN). While the Missouri GLVC teams could play any Central Region team, Union is only allowed because they're in a bordering state.

[Inkblot]

Another change this season: while conference challenges still have to be the weekend of November 13/14/15, the season now opens on the Monday seventeen weeks prior to selections (November 9th).

[Inkblot]

Complete list of crossovers for Central teams...

Black Hills State (host) and South Dakota Mines vs. Mary and Minot State
Central Oklahoma (host) and Northwestern Oklahoma State vs. Minnesota–Crookston and Oklahoma Christian
Concordia St. Paul (host) and Southwest Minnesota State vs. Fort Hays State and Nebraska–Kearney
Drury (host) and Southwest Baptist vs. Harding and Union (TN)
(at Missouri Western – each team plays the two adjacent in the list) Missouri Western, St. Cloud State, Northwest Missouri State, Bemidji State, Emporia State, Minnesota–Duluth
Newman (host) and Missouri Southern vs. Arkansas Tech and Southwestern Oklahoma State
Oklahoma Baptist (host) and Chadron State vs. Texas A&M International and West Texas A&M
Southern Nazarene (host) and Southeastern Oklahoma State vs. Jamestown and Northern State
(at Kansas City – each team plays the two adjacent in the list) Pittsburg State, Sioux Falls, Missouri S&T, Minnesota State, Washburn, MSU Moorhead
(at Little Rock) Augustana and Wayne State (NE) vs. Arkansas–Monticello and Ouachita Baptist
(at Tulsa) Arkansas–Fort Smith and Central Missouri vs. East Central and Southern Arkansas
(at Tulsa) Henderson State and Texas A&M Kingsville vs. Northeastern State and Rogers State
(at Wisconsin Dells) Michigan Tech and Northern Michigan vs. UMSL and Winona State

A few Central teams will open the season early and play tipoff events.

at Chaminade 10/30-11/1:
Winona State vs. Lake Erie, 2 more opponents TBD (bracket format – second round vs. Chaminade or Tampa)
Minot State vs. Adelphi, 2 more opponents TBD (bracket format – second round vs. Hawaii Pacific or St. Edward's)

at Wisconsin Dells 10/30-11/1:
Harding vs. Grand Valley State, Northern Michigan, and Central Oklahoma
Central Oklahoma vs. Northern Michigan, West Texas A&M, and Harding

at Florida Southern 11/7-11/8:
Central Missouri vs. Gannon and Cal State East Bay
Oklahoma Baptist vs. Cal State East Bay and Lander
Washburn vs. Point Loma Nazarene and West Liberty

[Inkblot]

Updated the above list to show Ouachita Baptist at the Little Rock event and Emporia State and Minnesota–Duluth both at Missouri Western's event, giving it six teams; the list should be complete now. Also added West Texas A&M as Central Oklahoma's second opponent in Wisconsin, and the potential second-round matchups in Hawaii.

I might do one of these for women's... although it appears that a large percentage of the NSIC women's teams have chosen not to play conference challenges.

[Millsy]

Sorry if this was already mentioned.

Bemidji State releases their schedule. Looks like Northwest Missouri and Emporia State in St. Joseph, MO, to start the season.

They also have Concordia-Moorhead and Valley City State in Bemidji, University of Tampa and Eckerd College over Thanksgiving in St. Petersburg, FL.

https://bsubeavers.com/news/2026/9/1...4z0qgHHTigqNdw