FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (September 29, 2026) – Highlighted by non-conference road games at six postseason teams, the Northern Arizona men's basketball team announced their 2026-27 schedule on Tuesday. The Lumberjacks will also play 14 home games in Flagstaff.
The full 2026-27 schedule can be viewed
here. Information regarding season and single-game tickets will be announced at a later date.
This season's non-conference slate lined by head coach
Shane Burcar, entering his eighth season leading the program, is aligned with the Lumberjacks' recent mentality of accepting every challenge. In the past five seasons, Burcar has taken his team on the road to Gonzaga, Michigan State and UConn, the latter whom was the defending national champion at the time.
NAU will play a few of college basketball's most elite programs with trips to Arizona (Nov. 10), Kentucky (Nov. 13) and Iowa State (Dec. 21). All three programs were in the NCAA Tournament a season ago with Arizona making the Final Four and Iowa State reaching the Sweet 16. The previously announced trip to
Kentucky will mark the program's first-ever trip to Rupp Arena.
Starting with the first two games of the season, the Lumberjacks will face postseason teams with road tilts at UNLV (Nov. 3) and New Mexico (Nov. 7). UNLV won a game in the NIT last season, while New Mexico made a run to the NIT Semifinal during a 26-win season.
The two games against Mountain West foes will be followed by the trips to Arizona and Kentucky before NAU's home opener on Nov. 17 versus Embry-Riddle. The Lumberjacks will then hit the road again for games at Cal Poly (Nov. 21) and Cal State Bakersfield (Nov. 28), the former whom NAU defeated in Flagstaff last season.
The Lumberjacks will have their longest homestand of the season to start December, beginning with their first two Big Sky games against Montana and Montana State on Dec. 3 and Dec. 5. With the addition of Southern Utah and Utah Tech to the conference this season, all Big Sky teams will open conference in early December.
The homestand will also include home games against Nelson and Justice College on Dec. 10 and Dec. 14 respectively, before NAU travels to West Virginia on Dec. 16. West Virginia posted three postseason victories last season to win the College Basketball Crown title. The trip will wrap at Iowa State, before the 'Jacks conclude their non-conference slate at home versus Benedictine Mesa on Dec. 28.
"There is a commitment to college basketball at NAU, a commitment that was emphasized with the University's decision to opt in to revenue sharing beginning with this season," Burcar. "We are playing a very difficult non-conference schedule, one that will help our program holistically and allow our fans to plan basketball trips to some of the best venues in the country."
NAU resumes the conference schedule on New Year's Eve at Weber State, the first of four straight road games as the calendar flips to 2027. All in all, the Lumberjacks will play seven of nine games on the road once conference play picks up at the end of December, before the 'Jacks conclude the regular season with six of nine in Flagstaff. The Lumberjacks wrap up the 20-game Big Sky schedule on March 1 at Northern Colorado ahead of the Big Sky Conference tournament from March 5-10 in Boise, Idaho.
A challenge that NAU will face during the conference schedule this year is the Lumberjacks being the "lone wolf" in the Big Sky. With the league at 11 basketball-playing members, NAU is the odd team without a travel partner, meaning that its opposition will only play a single game against NAU every two-game weekend.
"The hope behind our non-conference schedule is to be battle-tested for Big Sky Conference play," Burcar said. "As the lone wolf, we will have to be tougher than we've ever been to put ourselves in the best position once we get to Boise. Our program is built on effort, toughness and attitude and this season will be no different. Our goal remains the same, and that is to win the Big Sky and play in the NCAA Tournament."
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