The Missouri Valley Conference has announced the league slate for the 2025-2026 men's basketball season, which this year features a full double-round robin format as each squad will play each of the other 10 teams twice as part of a 20-game Valley gauntlet.
The Valparaiso University men's basketball team will tip off league play on Sunday, Dec. 21 by hosting Murray State at the Athletics-Recreation Center. The Beacons will play back-to-back road games to close out the calendar year of 2025 and ring in 2026 by visiting UNI on Monday, Dec. 29 and Southern Illinois on Thursday, Jan. 1.
The first two home games of 2026 will be against teams from the Land of Lincoln as Valpo hosts UIC (Sunday, Jan. 4) and Illinois State (Wednesday, Jan. 7) before a swing trip to Kentucky and Tennessee with stops at Murray State (Saturday, Jan. 10) and Belmont (Tuesday, Jan. 13).
A sequence of three straight home games begins on Saturday, Jan. 17 vs. UNI, the lone Saturday home game in conference play this season. It continues as Valpo welcomes Southern Illinois (Wednesday, Jan. 21) and Belmont (Wednesday, Jan. 28). The team will make bus trips to Indiana State (Saturday, Jan. 31) and Bradley (Tuesday, Feb. 3) before coming back home against instate foe Evansville on Friday, Feb. 6.
Valpo visits defending league champion Drake on Monday, Feb. 9 before heading to Illinois State on Thursday, Feb. 12. The Beacons are home for two as they host Indiana State (Sunday, Feb. 15) and Bradley (Wednesday, Feb. 18) before making the quick trip to UIC on Saturday, Feb. 21. The final home game of the season will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 25 vs. Drake before the regular season concludes on Saturday, Feb. 28 at Evansville.
The State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, known as Arch Madness, will take place on March 5-8 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Last season, Valpo made a run to the semifinal round at the conference tournament, capping a season that saw the Beacons over double their win total from the previous year.
Season tickets for the 2025-2026 Valpo men's basketball season are on sale now.
Click here to purchase season tickets to catch all of the excitement of all 18 home games at the Athletics-Recreation Center.