NORTHRIDGE – CSUN Men’s Basketball head coach Mark Gottfried released the 2018-19 schedule on Monday, featuring 15 home games including a showdown with New Mexico on opening night on The Blacktop at The Matadome. The Matadors will host their most Division I opponents in team history this season in addition to a pair of exhibition contests.

On the 31-game regular season schedule, the Matadors are set to face three NCAA Tournament teams and 10 squads that boasted winning records last season. CSUN will also participate in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic. The schedule features a complete slate of Division I opponents for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

Prior to the official start of the regular season, the Matadors will take on Antelope Valley on Oct. 25 and Cal State LA on Nov. 1 in a pair of exhibition games at The Matadome.

For the first time in team history, CSUN hosts New Mexico on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. to kick off the 2018-19 campaign. The meeting marks just the second time the Matadors will host a Mountain West Conference team, and the first since meeting Wyoming during the 2000-01 season. The Lobos just missed out on an NCAA Tournament berth last season as they fell in the conference championship game.

The Matadors open up the road portion of their schedule with a pair of West Coast Conference opponents in Pepperdine (Nov. 10) and Loyola Marymount (Nov. 13). Also in November, CSUN hosts Portland (Nov. 17) and Tennessee State (Nov. 20) before visiting Washington State on Nov. 27.

After hosting Sacramento State on Dec. 1, the Matadors begin the first round of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic at San Diego on Dec. 9. The Matadors will entertain Pacific on Dec. 16 prior to returning to tournament action in Las Cruces, N.M. against New Mexico State (Dec. 19). The reigning Western Athletic Conference champions, the Aggies have advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two seasons.

During Christmas week, the Matadors will complete the final two rounds of the Las Vegas Classic. CSUN takes on SIUE in Las Vegas on Dec. 22, and matches up with either Northern Colorado or Rider the following day. The Matadors wrap up the 2018 calendar year with a home contest against Morgan State (Dec. 29).

CSUN rings in 2019 with a road test at San Diego State on New Year’s Day. The Aztecs earned the Mountain West’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the conference tournament last season. The Matadors conclude non-conference play on Jan. 5 with their first ever meeting with Yale inside The Matadome.

CSUN kicks off Big West play on the road against UC Riverside (Jan. 9) and Cal Poly (Jan. 12) before opening up a three-game homestand with Hawai’i on Jan. 17. The Matadors also host UC Irvine (Jan. 19) and Long Beach State (Jan. 23) over the home stretch. The month closes out with a road contest with reigning Big West Tournament champion Cal State Fullerton (Jan. 30).

Big West play heats up in February as the Matadors host Cal Poly (Feb. 2), Cal State Fullerton (Feb. 16), UC Davis (Feb. 23) and UC Riverside (Feb. 27). Road games during the month include UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 6), UC Davis (Feb. 13) and Long Beach State (Feb. 20). UC Davis is coming off a Big West regular season championship last season along with a National Invitation Tournament appearance.

CSUN concludes the regular season with three more conference matchups in March. The Matadors make the trek to Honolulu to face Hawai’i on March 2 while Senior Night is set for Thursday, March 7 with UC Santa Barbara in town. The regular season draws to a close on March 9 as CSUN battles UC Irvine at the Bren Events Center.

The 2019 Big West Tournament will be held at the Honda Center in Anaheim from March 14-16.

A total of two CSUN Basketball doubleheaders at The Matadome are set for this season. Prior to the Matadors hosting Yale on Jan. 5, CSUN Women’s Basketball hosts UC Santa Barbara at 4 p.m. Two weeks later on Jan. 19, the men’s basketball team opens up the doubleheader against UC Irvine followed by the women’s basketball taking on UC Riverside at 7 p.m.

To view complete 2018-19 schedule, click [here].