MITCHELL, S.D. — The Dakota Wesleyan Men’s Basketball schedule for the 2026-27 season is here. The Tigers will participate in 28 contests and a lone exhibition game in the new year against Division I opponent South Dakota State.
Head Coach Sam Nicholson is entering his second full season leading the Tigers, posting a 14-15 record during the 2025-26 campaign. Coach Nicholson had the following to say regarding the upcoming season:
“We are excited and optimistic with this year’s schedule release! The opportunity to open at home along with some challenging non-conference games will serve us well.”
The Tigers start their season off at home in the Corn Palace on Oct. 30th in the first-ever CorTrust Classic, where they take on Bethany (Kan.), who went 7-20 last season. The next day, on Oct. 31st, the Tigers will face Valley City State, who are looking to recover from a 10-17 record in 2025-26.
The most challenging non-conference game on paper for DWU will be on Nov. 3rd, as they travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to face Grand View. The Vikings are coming off an impressive season where they posted a 20-9 record. These teams met early last season in Mitchell, with the Tigers coming away with a close 89-84 victory. Dakota Wesleyan Men’s Basketball will also depart on a 1,900-mile trip to Florida this year, as the team will be competing in the 2026 Cruzin Classic in Miami Gardens, Florida, where they will face off against St. Thomas (Fla.) on Dec. 19th, followed by Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 20th.
The Tigers will, of course, have to face a grueling GPAC schedule against some of the top teams in the country. One of these teams is Morningside, who finished last season ranked No. 21 and finished with a 22-8 record before being upset in the first round of the NAIA tournament. The Tigers will play host to the Mustangs on Jan. 20th. Another home contest with major implications will be against defending GPAC Champions Northwestern (Iowa), who finished last season with a record of 28-6 and ranked No. 20, and won their first two tournament games before losing to eventual National Champions Freed-Hardeman in the Sweet 16.
See the upcoming 2026-27 schedule for DWU Men’s Basketball here.