IRVINE, Calif. – UC Irvine men's basketball has unveiled its non-conference schedule for the upcoming 2023-24 season.

The Anteaters currently have a 12-game non-conference slate highlighted by nine teams that advanced to the postseason last year. The 'Eaters are also set to play a 20-game Big West ledger. Fans will get the chance to catch the Anteaters at the Bren Events Center this season 13 times including three non-conference opponents making the trip to Irvine.

"We have taken an aggressive schedule because our players want to play high level games and I'm excited for the action," remarked head coach Russell Turner. "There is nothing better than high level competition and I'm excited that our players want what I also want. Every team we play can beat us and I respect the coaches and players on each team we play. I hope our fans will buy into our aggressive approach that we think will toughen us up for Big West play."

UCI kicks off the year with a home exhibition game against Cal State San Marcos on Friday, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m. This will be the first meeting between the two teams in program history. The Cougars advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament West Region Semifinals behind a 20-11 overall record.

The official start of the 2023-24 campaign will begin in San Jose, Calif. on Tuesday, Nov. 7 as the Anteaters will face San Jose State. The two programs last met in the 2011 season in San Jose. UCI holds the all-time series record against the Spartans, 26-20. San Jose State finished 21-14 last year with a quarterfinal appearance in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
 
UC Irvine will host New Mexico State for the 'Eaters home opener at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday November 11 inside the Bren Center. The Anteaters took down the Aggies, 85-68, in their meeting last season to win the Las Vegas Holiday Classic championship crown.

The Anteaters will make a quick trip up to Los Angeles to take on perennial PAC-12 contender, USC. The last meeting between the two squads was on December 15, 2021 inside the Galen Center. The Trojans were a 10-seed in the NCAA March Madness tournament behind their 22-11 record, falling to Michigan State in the first round.

UCI returns to the Bren for a meeting with Occidental College on Friday, November 17^th with a 7:00 p.m. start. The Anteaters and the Tigers last met on January 25, 1972 in Irvine where UCI won, 94-75.
 
The 'Eaters begin the road-heavy part of their non-conference schedule with the Ball Dawgs Classic in Henderson, Nevada, competing against Pepperdine (Nov. 21), Toledo (Nov. 22), and Rice (Nov. 24).

The Waves hold the 2-1 advantage in neutral site competition against UCI as the two programs face each other for the fifth consecutive season. Only meeting once all-time, Toledo comes into the pairing with the 1-0 edge. The Rockets won the Mid-American Conference regular season title in the 2022-23 with their 16-2 conference record (27-8 overall) and drew a first round NIT match-up with Michigan. Rice and UC Irvine meet for the first time in program history for this neutral site competition. The Owls went 19-16 during last year's campaign, earning a spot in the CBI where they advanced to the quarterfinals.

UC Irvine then travels out to the east coast where they will close out November with a game at Duquesne (Nov. 29). The only meeting between the two squads occurred in the 2021-22 season when they met in Akron, Ohio on December 18. The Dukes went 20-13 during their season and 10-8 in the Atlantic 10. Duquesne made it to the postseason, competing in the first round of the CBI.
 
The Anteaters next stop on the road is at former Big West foe, Utah State, on December 2 for their first meeting since Feb. 2018. Despite falling to San Diego State in the Mountain West finale, the Aggies 26-9 overall record was enough to receive a bid to the first round of the NCAA March Madness tournament.

UCI makes a return to San Diego State on Saturday December 9 for a rematch of last season's 72-69 loss in the final seconds. The Aztecs went on to win both the Mountain West regular season and tournament titles. San Diego State were national runners-up to finish the 2022-23 campaign and ranked No. 2 nationally.

South Dakota treks to the Bren Center on Saturday December 16 with a 7:00 p.m. tip. UCI made the trip to Vermillion, S.D. last season and earned the 83-71 victory behind their stunning .517 shooting clip (30-58) in the contest.
 
UC Irvine completes their non-conference schedule at New Mexico on December. 20 for their first ever meeting. The Lobos finished the year with a 22-12 record, earning impressive non-conference wins over Saint Mary's and Iona. New Mexico advanced to the postseason with an appearance in the first round of the NIT.

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MINI PLANS
Mini plan benefits include access to the best available seats for premium games prior to single game ticket buyers, personal account management, approximate 30% savings on single game price and more!

UCI will continue to offer the flexibility of designer 6-game and 3-game mini plans in all price levels, in addition to the fan favorite Saturday Game Pack. Buy Now!

GROUPS
UC Irvine offers great savings and a variety of unique experiences for groups of 15 or more. Group tickets start at just $8. Group Experiences include PA/Video Board welcome, halftime high five line, on-court photo op, post-game shoot around, and more! Call 949-824-8779, email Bill Falk or complete a Ticket Interest Form for more information.

SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets are still available for the 2023-24 season. Season Ticket benefits include same seat for every home game, approximate 40% cost savings, access to discounted on-campus season parking, access to exclusive events, season ticket holder gift, and more! Choose my Seat!

Single game and flex tickets go on-sale October 10th.