Idaho State men's basketball is scheduled to begin its 2026-27 regular season on Monday, Nov. 2, against Utah State. The matchup will take place at the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum in Logan, Utah, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. MT.
The Bengals enter the season with a highly revamped roster, returning only Quin Patterson and Landen Birley from the previous year. The program returns just 1.67% of its scoring, 1.6% of its rebounding, 1.27% of its assists, and 3.67% of its minutes played from the 2025-26 campaign. This makes Idaho State one of only nine NCAA Division I programs returning those percentages or less across all four categories.
The roster features 10 underclassmen and six upperclassmen, marking the program's fewest upperclassmen on a roster since at least 2010. The team welcomes 14 newcomers, including Ike Palmer from Utah State Eastern and Malachi Johnson from Stanislaus State.
Head coach Ryan Looney enters his eighth season leading the Bengals. Under Looney, the team has compiled an 81-131 overall record. Idaho State was selected to finish ninth in the 2026-27 Big Sky Conference Preseason Coaches' and Media Polls, following Montana State, Northern Colorado, and Eastern Washington.
Utah State enters the season after winning all three of its exhibition games against Denver, Saint Mary's, and Santa Clara. The Aggies' preseason success included scoring at least 86 points in each exhibition game. Historically, Idaho State holds a 15-39 all-time record against Utah State and has lost the last 17 meetings between the programs.
Following the opener, Idaho State is scheduled to play Wyoming on Nov. 6, followed by Air Force Academy on Sunday, Nov. 8, and Seattle U on Nov. 14. The Bengals will return home to face South Dakota State on Friday, Nov. 20, at 2:00 P.M.
