University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
CSUN
UNI men’s basketball opens 125th season against CSUN
11/4/2025 11:11:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Panthers open 2025-26 season in Thursday night matchup with Big West challenger. Tickets now on sale.
UNI men's basketball (0-0 / 0-0 MVC) vs. CSUN (1-0 / 0-0 Big West)
- 7 p.m. CT
- Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025
- Cedar Falls, Iowa | McLeod Center (6,650)
- WATCH (ESPN+) [Chris Kleinhans-Schulz: Play-by-Play / Kevin Lehman: Analyst]
- LISTEN (Panther Sports Radio Network) [J.W. Cox: Play-by-Play / Kevin Boyle: Analyst]
- LIVE RESULTS
- TICKETS
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI men's basketball's 125th anniversary season begins this Thursday night as the Panthers take on the Cal State Northridge (CSUN) inside the McLeod Center in non-conference action.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT with live coverage ESPN+ with Eric Braley and Kevin Lehman on the call, as well as the Panther Sports Radio Network (93.5 The Mix) with J.W. Cox and Kevin Boyle on the call.
Single-game and season tickets for the 2025-26 men's basketball regular season can be purchased online through the UNI Ticket Office, by calling 319-273-4849 or through email at tickets@uni.edu.
Northern Iowa is coming off a 20-13 campaign last season, a third-place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) standings and the program's third appearance in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The Panthers last season notably ranked 15th in Division I with a 48.7% field goal clip, while also boasting the MVC's second-best scoring defense (67.4 points allowed per game).
The Panthers were picked to finish second in this year's MVC preseason poll with eight first-place votes, second behind Illinois State. Four UNI players were also named to the league's preseason watchlist in Leon Bond III, Trey Campbell, Ben Schwieger and RJ Taylor.
2025-26 MVC Men's Basketball Preseason Poll (Top-Five)
- Illinois State [34] ….. 487
- UNI [8] ….. 442
- Murray State [4] ….. 385
- Bradley ….. 370
- Belmont ….. 344
UNI also begins the season ranked 11th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major preseason top-25 rankings, one of seven MVC schools to be either ranked or receiving votes.
Northern Iowa returns 11 players from last year's roster, tied for third-most in Division I behind only Navy (18) and Purdue (12), as well as a Division I-best 72.1% of its minutes played.
In the offseason, the Panthers added three signees out of the transfer portal in Tristan Smith (Concordia-NE), Ismael Diouf (North Carolina State) and Marino Dubravcic (Baylor), as well as three freshmen in Geon Hutchins, Jalen Wilson and Levi Valdo.
Head coach Ben Jacobson kicks off his 20th season leading the Panthers with 374 career wins, second-most in the 119-year history of the MVC behind only Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach Henry P. Iba. Jacobson's 209 conference wins are the most in the league's history.
Last Saturday, Panther fans got their first look at this year's squad in a 96-67 exhibition win over Division II Upper Iowa, headlined by six double-digit scorers. Bond posted a 16 point, 12 rebound double-double with Smith tallying 15 points. Campbell posted 13 points in the win, while Taylor, Kyle Pock and Will Hornseth scored 11 points each, including a game-high four assists by Taylor. Hutchins recorded eight points, as Max Weisbrod finished with six points.
SCOUTING CSUN
The Matadors, who topped Nobel University (CA) in their season opener on Monday by a score of 99-58, are coming off a 22-win campaign under head coach Andy Newman last season, which included an NIT appearance and first round loss at Stanford.
After finishing tied for third in the Big West last season at 14-6, CSUN was picked fifth in this year's preseason conference poll with forward Mahmoud Fofana earning Preseason All-Big West Team honors.
Fofana was the fourth-leading scorer for the Matadors last season (8 PPG) with five rebounds per game and 39 total steals and ten blocks.
UNI men's basketball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Men's Basketball), X (@UNImbb) and on Instagram (@uni_basketball). Schedule and roster information, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
