NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – A pair of nationally-recognized programs and a slate full of Metro Conference hopefuls is what awaits Joe Gallo and the Merrimack men's basketball program when they open their regular-season slate next month.
The men's basketball team on Thursday announced its 2026-27 schedule, which coincided with the release of season tickets. Merrimack, which is coming off a regular-season conference championship and ranked second in the Conference's Preseason Coaches' Poll, will play 13 games at Lawler Arena.
The Warriors open their season against Appalachian State in the Field of 68 Tournament on Nov. 2, which marks Opening Day in college basketball. Merrimack's first home game will be when it hosts nearby UMass Lowell (Nov. 5).
Other highlights on the schedule include the Warriors taking a trip to Gainesville to face the University of Florida on Nov. 13. Approximately one month later (Dec. 12), Gallo and company travel to East Lansing to face Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans. Both the Gators and Spartans earned a trip to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament during the 2025-26 season with Izzo and company reaching the Sweet 16. Both teams currently rank inside the top 10 in the well-known Ken Pom rankings.
Merrimack will kick off its season with a month of non-conference play, including the America East-Metro Challenge where the Warriors will travel to the Albany Great Danes (Nov. 8). The Warriors will take part in a three-game tournament at Hofstra before starting conference play against the reigning conference champion Siena Saints (Dec. 4).
The Warriors continued conference play when they host the Fairfield Stangs (Dec. 6), who were selected first overall in the Metro Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. The majority of conference action, however, starts after Christmas with a game against Iona serving as the reintroduction to Metro play (Dec. 29).
The Warriors travel to Manhattan on New Year's Day before they host Quinnipiac (Jan. 3) and Marist (Jan. 8) in back-to-back home games. Merrimack will host Siena in a rematch of the title game on Feb. 11 before its hosts its last home game against Sacred Heart (Feb. 26).
The Metro Conference tournament will be held in Atlantic City, N.J. starting March 4.
