FLORENCE, Ala. — University of North Alabama head men's basketball coach Tony Pujol announced the 2024-25 men's basketball non-conference schedule on Tuesday. The Lions have 13 opponents scheduled before ASUN play begins in 2025.
The season opens with an exciting road matchup at Air Force on Monday, Nov. 4 at 8:30 p.m. inside Clune Arena in Air Force Academy, Colo. This means UNA is officially 76 days away from tipoff.
The Lions will also host six non-conference games inside CB&S Bank Arena, starting with the home opener on Nov. 7 against Point at 11 a.m. The men will also play a premiere double-header with the women's team on Friday, Nov. 15 with the women hosting South Alabama and the men hosting reigning Southern Conference Champion Samford.
"Our non-conference schedule offers our program a diverse set of opportunities to be challenged," said Pujol, who enters his seventh season at UNA. "Traveling coast-to-coast, adapting to different styles of play and being able to play two NCAA Tournament teams in our state; one on the road at Auburn and battling Samford at The Bank with our fans!"
Premium Seating at CB&S Bank Arena for the year has already been sold out, and there are only 10 reserved seats remaining. Pierce Suite passes are still available for $350. For ticket information, contact bbond@una.edu or call 256-765-5466.
To view the full schedule and tip-off times, click here.
SIX PACK AT THE BANK: UNA's non-conference home schedule includes four games in November and a pair in December. Three of the first four games will be at home against Point on Nov. 7, UT Martin on Nov. 10 and Samford on Nov. 15. The month ends with a pre-Thanksgiving home game against Dalton State on Nov. 27. UNA will host Tennessee Tech on Dec. 4 before wrapping up non-conference home games with Charleston Southern on Dec. 19.
UP THE MOUNTAIN: The Lions open the season on the road for the first time since 2021 when UNA battles Air Force in Colorado. The Air Force Academy is a census-designated place located in the Colorado Springs Area. This will be UNA's only regular season game in the mountain time zone.
DOWN ON THE PLAINS: On Monday, Nov. 18, the Lions will battle reigning SEC champion Auburn inside Neville Arena. The Lions and Tigers will meet for just the fifth time ever, including three matchups from 1959-61 and one in 2021. Auburn has won all four meetings. Meanwhile, UNA will hunt its first SEC win since the 66-65 win at Ole Miss in 2022.
DOWN ON THE BAYOU: On Nov. 23-24, the Lions will play a weekend MTE in Louisiana at Northwestern State. UNA will battle Louisiana-Monroe in neutral site action that Saturday before wrapping up with Northwestern State that Sunday. ULM is a first-time opponent, while Northwestern State will face UNA for the first time since 1976.
DOUBLE DOG DARE: As part of the Atlantic Sun Conference's scheduling alliance agreement with the Southern Conference this season, UNA will host Samford on Nov. 15 and will travel to Wofford on Sunday, Dec. 1 in Spartanburg, S.C. UNA will play two of the SoCon's premiere programs as Samford won the SoCon in 2024 and Wofford last won the league in 2019.
NO QUARTER, ALL DIMES: After final exams, the Lions will sail up to Greenville, N.C. for a thrilling non-conference matchup at East Carolina on Wednesday, Dec. 11. ECU will be another first-time opponent for UNA.
CALIFORNIA CHRISTMAS: The non-conference slate concludes on the west coast, as the Lions fly out to Los Angeles to take on Loyola Marymount on Sunday, Dec. 22. This will be UNA's first trip to California since facing UC Santa Barbara in 2022. The Lions have played in 23 different states and all four continental U.S. time zones since the move to Division I in 2018.
TOURNAMENT TEAMS: UNA will face two non-conference qualifiers from last season's NCAA Tournament — Samford and Auburn — who are both in-state opponents. No. 13 seed Samford took No. 4 Kansas to the brink in last season's NCAA Tournament, but narrowly fell by an 93-89 final in the first round. Meanwhile, Auburn lost on the wrong end of a 4/13 upset to Yale, 78-76.
ASUN PLAY: UNA begins conference play on Thursday, Jan. 2 against Bellarmine. There are 18 conference games on the schedule this season. For more information on the conference schedule, click here.
