NATCHITOCHES – Northwestern State men's basketball will open the 2025-26 season with a tough non-conference schedule before starting Southland play, head coach Rick Cabrera announced Thursday.

Northwestern tips off the campaign on the road with three straight contests, beginning Nov. 3 at Texas A&M, followed by trips to North Texas (Nov. 6) and North Alabama (Nov. 11). The Demons make their Prather Coliseum debut Nov. 14 against Ecclesia at 1 p.m. before heading west for two multi-team event matchups at San Francisco (Nov. 18) and Grand Canyon (Nov. 21, 8 p.m.).

"Our main goal is to always be prepared for conference play," Cabrera said. "At our level, conference games matter most. We want to test ourselves against quality opponents who will bring out the best in us."
The month of November closes with a home game against Southern (Nov. 29), one of 14 contests scheduled at Prather Coliseum.

December features the start of Southland play with trips to McNeese (Dec. 5) and Southeastern Louisiana (Dec. 7), along with a non-conference visit to Cal (Dec. 13). The Demons finish the month with back-to-back home league matchups against Lamar (Dec. 29) and Stephen F. Austin (Dec. 31).

"These MTE games are exactly what we wanted for this group," Cabrera said of the San Francisco and Grand Canyon matchups. "They're strong mid-major programs that will challenge us in different ways. Some MTEs give you that tournament-style feel with back-to-back games, but this setup is about finding high-quality opponents — and we've done that."

"The common denominator for us is improvement. Every game is an opportunity to get better. Of course, we play to win, but the key is that each non-conference game helps prepare us for what lies ahead in league play."

January begins with New Orleans (Jan. 3) at home before the Demons travel to Nicholls (Jan. 5). Other notable January home dates include Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Jan. 10), UTRGV (Jan. 12) and East Texas A&M (Jan. 24). Road trips take NSU to UIW (Jan. 17), Houston Christian (Jan. 19), Stephen F. Austin (Jan. 26) and New Orleans (Jan. 31).

February brings a critical stretch with home matchups against Nicholls (Feb. 2), Southeastern Louisiana (Feb. 14), McNeese (Feb. 16), Houston Christian (Feb. 21) and UIW (Feb. 23). The Demons' road tests include East Texas A&M (Feb. 7), Lamar (Feb. 9) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Feb. 28).

"Every game in this league is tough, and then the next one feels even tougher," Cabrera said. "That's why getting off to a strong start in December is so important. It sets the tone for the rest of the conference grind."

The regular season wraps up Mar. 2 at UTRGV before the Demons head to Lake Charles for the Southland Conference Tournament (Mar. 8-11).

"It doesn't matter where the game is played," Cabrera said. "Our job is to be locked in and ready to compete every night, no matter the venue."

Cabrera also emphasized the importance of defending home court.

"We'll take things one game at a time," he said. "If we can consistently protect Prather Coliseum, we'll put ourselves in a great position for March."

All home games will be played at Prather Coliseum in Natchitoches.

Season tickets for Northwestern State basketball are on sale now, with packages starting at $135 for general admission. All season-ticket packages cover admission to all 27 men's and women's home games this season. For more information, visit NSUTickets.com, call 318-357-4268, or stop by the athletic ticket office inside the Donald G. Kelly Athletic Complex Fieldhouse.

For the complete 2025-26 schedule and season updates, visit NSUDemons.com and follow @NSUDemons on social media.