Follow UC Davis: Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Facebook
 
DAVIS, Calif. – Two Pac-12 matchups, another four against West Coast Conference teams, three games versus teams that advanced to last year's postseason and four contests on Hamilton Court highlight UC Davis' 2019-20 non-conference slate, as announced by head coach Jim Les on Tuesday.
 
The upcoming season will open on November 5 when the Aggies head to Loyola Chicago for the first time in program history. This is the first head-to-head game against the Ramblers — a team that experienced a storybook run to the Final Four in 2018 — in six seasons; UC Davis earned an overtime victory at the Portland State Tournament, in 2013, when these teams last faced one another.
 
UC Davis' home opener vs. William Jessup (Nov. 7) precedes a month-long block of action that includes three games at the Arkansas State Classic, its annual rivalry game at the Golden 1 Center against Sacramento State (Nov. 20) and four road games. Once that season-long eight-game road swing concludes, the Aggies will return to the Pavilion for its inaugural home matchup versus Northern Illinois (Dec. 7).
 
The Aggies will play three games within a four-day timespan at the Arkansas State Classic, starting with their tournament opener against Idaho (Nov. 14). The rest of the weekend includes games against the event's host (Nov. 15) and VMI (Nov. 17) — both first-time opponents.
 
Following its first trip to Portland (Nov. 23) in four years, men's basketball will battle two Pac-12 teams during Thanksgiving week, which starts at Cal (Nov. 26) and continues three days later at Utah (Nov. 29).
 
The Aggies last faced the Utes in 2018 during the National Invitation Tournament's opening round.
 
The team's first road game at Northern Arizona (Dec. 4) since 2012 will cap a road-heavy portion of its schedule; its Dec. 7 home game against NIU is the last contest before a week-long hiatus takes place due to final exams.
 
When they return to action, three consecutive games against West Coast Conference teams await the Aggies. What starts with a quick road trip to San Diego (Dec. 14), continues at home against Loyola Marymount (Dec. 16) and concludes at San Francisco (Dec. 21).
 
UC Davis will compete in one of the loudest, and most intimidating environments in the nation when it visits The Pit to face New Mexico (Dec. 29) for the first time since 1978. The Aggies' final non-conference game will take place inside the Pavilion against Holy Names (Jan. 3) before Big West action begins the following week.

Thanks to an unparalleled home-court advantage — it holds the highest home win percentage in the Big West and posted two perfect home records in the last five years — UC Davis won three league titles throughout that same timespan to earn a place on college basketball's national map.
 
Once official, UCDavisAggies.com will highlight 2019-20 season ticket information and the team's Big West Conference schedule.

 
UC Davis Men's Basketball — 2019-20 Non-Conference Schedule
Nov. 5 at Loyola Chicago
Nov. 7 vs. William Jessup
Nov. 14 vs. Idaho^
Nov. 15 at Arkansas State^
Nov. 17 vs. VMI^
Nov. 20 vs. Sacramento State (Golden 1 Center)
Nov. 23 at Portland
Nov. 26 at California
Nov. 29 at Utah
Dec. 4 at Northern Arizona
Dec. 7 vs. Northern Illinois
Dec. 14 at San Diego
Dec. 16 vs. Loyola Marymount
Dec. 21 at San Francisco
Dec. 29 at New Mexico
Jan. 3 vs. Holy Names
 
Home games in bold
^ - Arkansas State Classic (Jonesboro, Ark.)
 
 
AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation.
 
Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis.
 
Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
 
TOGETHER, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING
Directly impact the lives of potential, and current UC Davis basketball student-athletes, by joining the Aggie Round Table.
 
With support from this select group of insiders, the men's basketball program can expand its recruiting efforts to find prospects who will thrive at the fifth-ranked public school in the nation, compete at a championship level and represent the University in a first-class manner as one of its ambassadors. 
 
Contact Liz Martin (Assistant Athletics Director, Leadership Giving & Alumni Engagement) at (530) 574-8623 or emartin@ucdavis.edu to find out how you can join this exclusive club!
 
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley.
 
The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.