HICKORY, N.C. - Second year Head Coach Brent Owen and the Lenoir-Rhyne Men's Basketball team have released their 2025-26 schedule. 

Last season the Bears exceeded expectations, finishing with a 29-6 record and winning the SAC and Southeast Regional Tournament titles. The Bears are set to face six NCAA teams from last season, and nine who have qualified in the past two years. Coach Owen and his squad won't sneak up on anyone this season, and he is okay with that.

"This is far and away the most difficult schedule that we have ever put together in my time as a head coach," said coach Owen. "It sends a clear message: We feel that we have a team who can compete with the best teams in the country. This schedule is not about padding our win/loss record. We want to be challenged early and often so that we can grow and improve throughout the season to best prepare our team to compete for championships in March."

The Bears will be one of the first NCAA Division II teams to compete this season as they take part in the prestigious Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Lakeland, Florida. There they will take on Daemen and Michigan Tech, two NCAA Tournament teams from last season. Daemen spent much of the year undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country before falling in the second round. They will then head to Murfreesboro, N.C. to take on Chowan and Clayton State in the Southeast Region Challenge before hosting West Virginia State and Lee in the Lenoir-Rhyne Classic on November 21st-22nd.

"The opportunity to play five home games in front of our students in the first semester is especially exciting for our team after having zero home games with students present during the first semester last season."

Lenoir-Rhyne opens SAC play with a road contest at Lincoln Memorial on Friday, November 28th, a rematch of last year's SAC Championship game. Their first home SAC game will take place on Wednesday, December 3rd, against Catawba. The Bears close non-conference play with a big rematch of last year's Regional Championship game when they travel to UNC Pembroke on New Years Eve. Conference play will continue until the SAC Tournament in Rock Hill, S.C., on March 3rd-6th. 

The Bear faithful showed out last season, finishing 23rd in the country with an average attendance of 1,050 per night. This easily topped the SAC, with Carson-Newman finishing second at 679 per game.

"We are excited for the opportunity to play 14 home games this season. Though last season we led the SAC in attendance, we expect to see a significant growth in our home attendance following our run to the Elite 8 and the excitement that this team is sure to bring to Shuford Arena each and every night."

This year's roster will feature eight returners and 10 newcomers, a good mix of talent for Coach Owen and his staff to work with. To view this year's roster, click HERE.