Men's Basketball Reveals Non-Conference Slate
9/18/2026 11:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Bobcats Open New Season at Michigan State (11/2/26)
HAMDEN, Conn. – The Quinnipiac men's basketball program has announced its non-conference schedule ahead of the 2026-27 season, as revealed by Head Coach Tom Pecora and the Bobcats on Sept. 18.
Quinnipiac's non-league slate features 11 total games, including five matchups in front of its home crowd at M&T Bank Arena in Hamden.
Pecora's squad will also take on a pair of Big Ten opponents during the non-conference schedule. The Bobcats are set to open up the new campaign by traveling to East Lansing to take on Michigan State (11/2/26), and Quinnipiac will also make a trip to Los Angeles to face UCLA in December (12/19/26).
Following the '26-27 season opener at Michigan State, Quinnipiac will head back to Hamden to host Bryant in its first home contest of the year as part of the America East – Metro Challenge (11/5/26). The Bobcats then wrap up America East – Metro Challenge action at Vermont (11/8/26).
QU returns to Hamden to host Monmouth (11/12/26), marking the second time in two years that the Bobcats and Hawks will square off. Quinnipiac defeated Monmouth, 85-75, last year in West Long Branch.
Next up is a quick road trip to Central Connecticut State (11/15/26). It will be the sixth consecutive year that the in-state rivals face one another in the month of November, with Quinnipiac winning four of the last five.
The Bobcats then return home to host Maine (11/19/26) and Emerson (11/24/26) to continue the non-conference slate. QU and Maine have faced off five times since 2018-19, with the Bobcats taking all five matchups.
Quinnipiac and Yale are set to square off for the fourth straight campaign in the Battle of Whitney Ave (11/29/26), followed by another home matchup against Hofstra (12/12/26).
The Bobcats close out the non-conference portion of the schedule with a road trip to California. Quinnipiac will play at UCLA (12/19/26), then travel to Pepperdine just two days later (12/21/26).
Tom Pecora will enter his fourth season as Head Coach at Quinnipiac in 2026-27. Pecora – a veteran with 17 years of experience as a head coach at the Division I level – has guided the Bobcats to a 63-36 overall record during his first three years at the helm of the program. He captured back-to-back MAAC Coach of the Year awards after leading Quinnipiac to two consecutive regular-season championships in 2023-24 and 2024-25. Most recently, QU posted a 19-13 record during the 2025-26 campaign, earning a bye in the first round of the postseason tournament for the third straight year.
Keith McKnight has been selected to the Preseason All-Metro First Team, as announced by the league office on Wednesday, Sept. 16, during the 2026 Metro Basketball Tipoff at Ocean Casino Resort. McKnight, an All-Rookie honoree a season ago, was a unanimous selection for the Preseason First Team. The Teaneck, New Jersey, native played in all 32 games for Quinnipiac during his first year with the Bobcats in 2025-26, averaging 11.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. McKnight shot 54.6% from the floor (136-249) while adding 42 steals and 36 assists.
Quinnipiac was selected No. 6 overall in the Metro Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Bobcats received 109 votes, finishing behind Fairfield, Merrimack, Siena, Iona, and Marist.
The Bobcats have also been selected as the 2026-27 preseason favorite in the Blue Ribbon Metro Forecast. For more information on the 2026-27 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, CLICK HERE.
Individual game tickets are ON SALE NOW. With games expected to sell out quickly, fans are encouraged to act fast to secure their spots!
To stay up to date with all Quinnipiac men's basketball news, follow the program on X/Instagram @QU_MBB or visit www.gobobcats.com/mbb.
