College basketball season is just around the corner, and both the UT Martin Skyhawk men’s and women’s teams look to start their season on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026.

The men begin with three games on the road, facing off against the Tulane Green Wave on Nov. 2, followed by the IU Indy Jaguars on Nov. 7, before heading south for a matchup against the Arkansas State Red Wolves on Nov. 10.

The Skyhawks will play their first home game at the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center on Friday, Nov. 13, welcoming the Champion Christian Tigers. The following game will be against the Ecclesia Royals on Nov. 15.

After their two-game homestead, the Skyhawks will take a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands to partake in the Paradise Jam tournament, where their first matchup will being against the Southern Illinois Salukis on Nov. 20.

Before conference play starts, the Skyhawks will play two power conference teams. On Sunday, Dec. 6, the Skyhawks will head to the coast to duke it out against the South Carolina Gamecocks. On Wednesday, Dec. 16, the Skyhawks will head northeast in a bout with the Penn State Nittany Lions.

“Those obviously are not gonna be easy games, but we’re just excited for the opportunity,” said Head Coach Jeremy Shulman. “Our approach is every game, all year, is about ‘Can we compete? Can we do it together? What can we do to keep learning and improving?’ The season is not made after the first game.”

The Skyhawks have ten new freshmen on their roster, including guard Reid Conley, a Chattanooga, Tennessee native. Guard Mai Hong is a China native, standing at 6’2” and 200 pounds. He averaged 14.7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals per game at the Hoosac School in New York.

There are several transfers on the Skyhawks’ roster as well. Sophomore guard Davi Remagen, a top international prospect, hails from Germany and transferred from Georgia Tech.

“I think we have even more depth this year,” said Shulman. “I think we got 12 guys that legitimately can play in every single game. It’s going to be a fun brand of basketball to watch. With our offensive firepower we have, I think it’s gonna be a fun brand to watch.”

Despite the large number of new players, Shulman is excited about the Skyhawks’ roster, and said the team hopes to reach the big dance.

“We’re very hungry,” he said. “We want to take UT Martin to the NCAA tournament for the first time in men’s basketball history. We’re very motivated and very hungry to try to get there.”

The women’s basketball team will start their season at home on Nov. 2 against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels. The Skyhawks’ homestead will continue with an evening matchup against the Christian Brothers Bucs on Nov. 5 followed by an SEC matchup against the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Nov. 8. The Skyhawks will then play another SEC game on the road, taking a trip up north to go against the Missouri Tigers on Nov. 12.

On Monday, Nov. 23, the Skyhawks will head to Florida to partake in the Emerald Coast Classic, with their opening matchup being against the Virginia Tech Hokies. After the tournament, the Skyhawks will again head north on Nov. 29 to face a Big 10 opponent in the Purdue Boilermakers.

Sophomore forward Angela Mirkovic is a transfer to the Skyhawks, who previously played for Eastern Florida State. Mirkovic averaged 9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.

Sophomore guard Mimi Lazarevic, another transfer from Eastern Florida, averaged 16 points and six rebounds per game. She shot 42.3% from the field, 37.3% from behind the three-point line and 74.7% from behind the free throw line.

Conference play for both the men’s and women’s teams will begin in a doubleheader against the Morehead State Eagles on Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2026. The OVC championship tournament will begin on Wednesday, March 3, 2027.