McLean County Times

Illinois State men's basketball head coach Ryan Pedon has announced the team's 2024-25 non-conference schedule, which includes six home games, two road contests, and three games at the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"I am really excited about our non-conference schedule," said Pedon. "This is a challenging schedule that will test our team in the early parts of the season. Having six home games was very important to us, and with hard work from our staff and administration, we were able to achieve that mark. We will have two difficult road tests against programs that are accustomed to winning and will be very good for us. We are also excited about our tournament in the Virgin Islands, which will provide the most challenging field we have played in our three years at Illinois State."

The non-conference season opens on Monday, November 4 and ends on Sunday, December 22 with one Missouri Valley Conference game scheduled in between. The full Missouri Valley Conference schedule will be announced later.

Before officially starting their season in November, the Redbirds host Lewis Flyers in an exhibition game on Saturday, October 26.

The Redbirds begin their season at home on Monday, November 4 against UT Martin Skyhawks. Following this game, ISU travels to Fargo to face North Dakota State Bison on November 7 as part of a two-year series between the programs.

On Tuesday, November 12, ISU hosts Ohio Bobcats followed by another home game against Trinity Christian Trolls on Sunday, November 17.

At the Paradise Jam beginning November 22, ISU faces McNeese Cowboys first. They could then play either UAB Blazers or Longwood Lancers before concluding their tournament play against Kansas State Wildcats or other possible opponents like George Washington Colonials or Liberty Flames.

Upon returning from the Virgin Islands, ISU hosts Pacific Tigers on December 7 and Saint Louis Billikens on December 15 inside CEFCU Arena as part of a two-season home-and-home series.

The final non-conference home game takes place against Northern Illinois Huskies on Wednesday, December 18. The non-conference play concludes with an away game against Cornell Big Red on Sunday, December 22.

For more information regarding tickets and updates for Illinois State basketball games this season visit GoRedbirds.com or download the Illinois State Redbirds App.