SCHEDULE | PDF

MOSCOW, Idaho – The 2017-18 season is coming up for Idaho men's basketball, with head coach Don Verlin releasing the official schedule today.
 
"Once again our non-conference schedule is very challenging with contests versus the defending champions from fourconferences: Nevada from the Mountain West, UC Irvine from the Big West, CSU Bakersfield out of the WAC, and the MAC West Division Champs in Western Michigan," Verlin commented.  "Also, being able to participate in the final Great Alaska Shootout is an honor for our program, and our first game up there is versus Santa Clara from the WCC.  We also have a home matchup against Sam Houston State – who beat us last year at their place."
 
An exciting slate of games awaits the Vandals, including 14 home contests.  The exhibition season gets started on November 6, with Lewis-Clark State coming to Memorial Gym.
 
Idaho will head to Reno twice this season, beginning with the regular season opener at Nevada on November 10.  The Wolf Pack was outstanding in 2016-17, finishing the year 29-6 and winning the Mountain West Tournament to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament.  Nevada entered the Tournament as a 12-seed, falling to #5 Iowa State in the first round.
 
The Vandals return home for a pair of games in Memorial Gym, against George Fox and Sam Houston State, on November 13 and 18, respectively.  The Bearkats finished last year 21-13, advancing to the semifinals of the Southland Conference Tournament.
 
A trip to Alaska is up next for the Vandals for the final installment of the Great Alaska Shootout.  Idaho will take on Santa Clara in the opening round game on Wednesday, November 22, with the winner advancing to play the winner of CSU-Bakersfield and Alaska-Anchorage on Friday.
 
December starts with a trip down to Nicholls State to take on the Colonels on the 3^rd.  Idaho then returns home for the annual Battle of the Palouse against Washington State.  The meeting will mark the 113^th consecutive season that the Vandals and the Cougars have met, the longest continuously running rivalry outside of the Ivy League.
 
"As always I am sure our fans will be excited for the matchup vs Washington State at home on December 6^th, and we are really happy that our Southern Idaho fans will get the opportunity to see us in person at CenturyLink Arena right before Christmas," said Verlin.
 
Idaho hits the road again for a potential second matchup with CSU Bakersfield on December 9.  The Roadrunners finished last season 25-10, advancing to the semifinals of the NIT before falling to Georgia Tech.
 
The final week of the non-conference schedule will be a grueling one for the Vandals, beginning with Simon Fraser at home on December 15.  Idaho then travels to Western Michigan on December 18, before heading to Boise to take on UC Irvine at CenturyLink Arena on December 21.  The meeting with the Anteaters will be part of a doubleheader, with the Idaho women taking on Eastern Oregon.
 
Big Sky Conference play gets started on Friday, December 29, at North Dakota.  The Vandals return home to face Sacramento State and Portland State on January 4 and 6, respectively.
 
"With Big Sky play beginning with road games at North Dakota and Northern Colorado, we will be playing 6 games in the final three weeks of December, with five of those games away from home," Verlin said.  "Obviously, that is a really tough stretch, and one that will be a terrific test for our team."
 
Idaho's annual meetings with Eastern Washington will see some changes in 2018.  For the first time since returning to the Big Sky, Idaho and EWU will switch to doubleheaders with the women, with the first meeting set for January 12 in Cheney.  Moscow will get the action four weeks later, on Friday, February 9.
 
Conference play concludes in early March, with Northern Arizona and Southern Utah.  The Vandals will then make the return trip to Reno for the 2018 Big Sky Conference Tournament from March 6-10.
 
Fans can stay up-to-date on all things Idaho men's basketball by following the team on twitter, @VandalHoops.

For more information on Idaho Athletics, visit GoVandals.com.  Fans can also find Idaho on Twitter and Instagram, @Idaho_Vandals, or on Facebook by searching Idaho Vandals.