By: Scott Eddy, Assistant Athletics Director for Strategic Communications
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. – St. Bonaventure's Reilly Center will soon have its familiar roar with the calendar moving toward the start of the 2025-26 basketball season. Today, the program has officially announced 11 dates coming up as part of the new campaign.
Seven home dates adorn the non-conference slate. This year's home opener will take place Nov. 8 with a renewal of the Little Three rivalry vs. Canisius as the two regional foes square off for the 173rd time. St. Bonaventure leads the all-time series vs. the Griffs, 103-69.
Back-to-back rivalry games open the Reilly Center portion of the schedule as the Br. Ed Coughlin Franciscan Cup series returns to Western New York when Siena visits Nov. 12. Bona recaptured the Franciscan Cup with a win in Albany last winter to take a 9-5 lead in Franciscan Cup games and a 34-12 margin vs. the Saints all-time.
A four-game homestand continues as both Youngstown State and Robert Morris are set to visit Nov. 15 and Nov. 20 respectively with matchups against a pair of teams coming off strong '24-25 campaigns. The Bonnies are 6-1 vs. Youngstown all-time but have not faced the Penguins since a win back in 2005. Bona's is 3-0 vs. Robert Morris but has not met the Colonials since 2008. YSU is fresh off a 21-campaign including a 13-7 mark in conference play, reaching the Horizon League finals before falling to RMU. The Colonials impressed last season with a 26-9 record and 15-5 in league action to punch their ticket to the Big Dance.
The previously announced and highly anticipated Fort Myers Tip-Off takes place Nov 25-27 when the Bonnies feature in marquee matchups vs. North Carolina (Nov. 25) and East Carolina (Nov. 27). It will mark just the second all-time meeting between the Bonnies and Tar Heels with the previous coming in a UNC victory during the 1968 NCAA Tournament. SBU has never met ECU, a program that just missed the 20-win plateau with a 19-win season last year. For more on the event, click here.
Bona's Floridian excursion will extend to Nov. 30 when the Bonnies renew acquaintances with FAU in Boca Raton. Fresh off an 18-16 season last year and a bid to the NIT, the Owls own seven straight winning seasons. The programs have agreed to a home-and-home series with FAU making the return trip to WNY in 2026-27. The Bonnies are 1-1 vs. FAU all-time, capturing the 2019 Boca Beach Classic championship in the only previous meeting on the Owls' home floor.
St. Bonaventure returns home to face NCAA Division II opponent Bloomsburg on Dec. 2.
Another Western New York rivalry series continues Dec. 6 when the Bonnies make the trip to Buffalo to play UB. St. Bonaventure has won the last two meetings to improve to 13-5 all-time in the series.
Two more home games set the table for the holiday season when the Bonnies play host to Colgate (Dec. 10) and Le Moyne (Dec. 20). Colgate went 10-8 in Patriot League games a season ago while the Dolphins will enter their third season at the Division I level. The Bonnies' series with Colgate dates back to 1922 with the Raiders holding an 8-4 all-time advantage, though SBU has won the last three. Bona moved to 15-0 all-time vs. Le Moyne last season with a win in the The RC.
This year's slate will include two more games to be announced at a later date.
Season ticket renewals are available now and were emailed to season ticket holders in June. For more information on how to renew, call the SBU Ticket Office at 716-375-2500. Renewals end Aug. 15. Season tickets for new customers will begin once the renewal period ends with single-game tickets going on sale in October.
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