LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ – Rider University Men's Basketball Head Coach Kevin Baggett has announced his team's 2025-26 non-conference schedule. The Broncs are set to face four Power 4 opponents on the road, including the season-opener at Virginia (Nov. 3), at intrastate foe Rutgers (Nov. 5) and a trip to Texas to face the University of Texas (Nov. 18) and 2025 National Runner-Up Houston (Nov. 20).

Also included in the non-league docket are three home games. A Nov. 15 meeting with Division III Eastern University represents the Broncs' home opener, while Coppin State (Nov. 25) and Bucknell (Dec. 9) make return trips as part of home-and-home series that began last season. Rider rounds out the non-conference schedule with trips to Delaware (Dec. 13) and VCU (Dec. 22).
 
The 20-game MAAC schedule, along with television information and start times will be announced at a later date.

Rowan (Exhibition)
Sat., Oct. 25 * Alumni Gym

Virginia
Monday, Nov. 3 * Charlottesville, VA

Series History: Virginia leads, 1-0
Winning Streak: Virginia, 1
Last Meeting: Virginia, 79-46 (Nov. 19, 2009; Charlottesville, VA)
2024-25 Record: 15-17 (8-12 ACC)
Quickly: The Broncs open the season at UVA for Ryan Odom's first game leading the Cavaliers. Odom spent the last two seasons at VCU, leading the Rams to a 52-21 record and an appearance in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Virginia is Odom's fifth stint as a collegiate head coach, posting a career record of 222-127 over the past 10 seasons at VCU (2024-25), Utah State (2021-23), UMBC (2017-2021), Lenoir-Rhyne (2016) and Charlotte (2015, interim head coach). Virginia's roster will feature 11 new faces, including seven transfers and four freshmen.  

Rutgers
Wednesday, Nov. 5 * Piscataway, NJ

Series History: Rutgers leads, 16-1
Winning Streak: Rutgers, 4
Last Meeting: Rutgers, 76-46 (Nov. 22, 2022; Piscataway, NJ)
2024-25 Record: 15-17 (8-12 Big 10)
Quickly: The Broncs and Scarlet Knights will square off for the 18^th time, with Rutgers holding a 16-1 lead in the all-time series. The Scarlet Knights have won the last four meetings, while Rider took its lone win in the series on Dec. 21, 2007, when Rider Hall of Famer Ryan Thompson led the Broncs with 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting to go along with nine rebounds. Rutgers faces the daunting task of replacing a pair of top five picks in this past June's NBA Draft – Dylan Harper (No. 2, San Antonio Spurs) and Ace Bailey (No. 5, Utah Jazz). 

Eastern
Saturday, Nov. 15 * Alumni Gym

Series History: First Meeting
Winning Streak: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
2024-25 Record: 11-14 (4-10 MAC)
Quickly: Rider plays host to Division III Eastern University out of St. Davids, PA, to open the all-time series and the Broncs' home slate. The Eagles play in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC), which was formerly home to the Broncs from 1965-66 through 1973-74, before the Broncs departed for the East Coast Conference (ECC).  

Texas
Tuesday, Nov. 18 * Austin, TX

Series History: First Meeting
Winning Streak: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
2024-25 Record: 19-16 (6-12 SEC)
Quickly: The Broncs and Longhorns have never met on the hardwood. Texas is coming off a 19-16 season, including a 6-12 mark in its first season in the SEC, before falling in the NCAA Tournament First Four to Xavier. Longtime Xavier and Arizona Head Coach Sean Miller takes over for his first season at the helm of the Longhorns.    

Houston
Thursday, Nov. 20 * Houston, TX

Series History: First Meeting
Winning Streak: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A
2024-25 Record: 35-5 (19-1 Big 12)
Quickly: Rider finishes its Texas road trip with a meeting with the 2025 National Runner-Up in Houston. Kelvin Sampson's team brings back strong contributors to last year's success in Milos Uzan (11.4 ppg., 4.3 apg.), Emanuel Sharp (12.6 ppg.) and Joseph Tugler (5.5 ppg., 5.9 rpg., 1.9 bpg., 1.0 spg., 2025 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year), while also bringing in a top recruiting class. The Cougars again figure to be a National Championship contender in 2025-26.

Coppin State
Tuesday, Nov. 25 * Alumni Gym

Series History: Rider, 5-0
Winning Streak: Rider, 5
Last Meeting: Rider, 64-53 (Nov. 9, 2024; Baltimore, MD)
2024-25 Record: 6-24 (4-10 MEAC)
Quickly: Rider has won all five meetings all-time with the Eagles, including wins in the 2018-19, 2019-20, 2021-22 and 2024-25 seasons. The first meeting came in 2002-03. Rider took a 64-53 road victory last Nov. 9 in Baltimore. 

Bucknell
Tuesday, Dec. 9 * Alumni Gym

Series History: Bucknell, 31-27
Winning Streak: Rider, 2
Last Meeting: Rider, 57-53 (Nov. 23, 2024; Lewisburg, PA)
2024-25 Record: 18-15 (13-5 Patriot League)
Quickly: The Broncs and Bison renew one of the longer rivalries in Rider program history. The Broncs defeated the Bison, 57-53, last Nov. 23 in Lewisburg. The teams also met twice in the 2021-22 season, including a Bucknell win in Lewisburg on Nov. 17, 2021, and a Rider win a week later on Nov. 24, 2021, in Riviera Maya, Mexico, as part of the Cancun Challenge. Former Bronc Matt Griffin, who played 66 games in the cranberry in 2007-08 and 2008-09, is an assistant coach at Bucknell on his brother, Head Coach John Griffin's staff.   

Delaware
Saturday, Dec. 13 * Newark, DE

Series History: Delaware, 34-31
Winning Streak: Delaware, 1
Last Meeting: Delaware, 72-66 (Nov. 30, 2024; Lawrenceville, NJ)
2024-25 Record: 16-20 (5-13 CAA)
Quickly: Rider and Delaware have played close games in each of the last three seasons. A Jameer Nelson Jr. tip-in with 3.6 seconds left decided the 2022-23 meeting at Alumni Gym, before Allen Powell went coast-to-coast for a go-ahead, up-and-under reverse lay-up with 42 seconds left and made two more clutch free throws with a second remaining in overtime as the Broncs won the 2023-24 meeting in Newark. Delaware then took a 72-66 victory last Nov. 30 at Alumni Gym. 2025-26 marks the Blue Hens' first season in Conference USA.   

VCU
Monday, Dec. 22 * Richmond, VA

Series History: VCU leads, 1-0
Winning Streak: VCU, 1
Last Meeting: VCU, 90-79 (Dec. 30, 2018; Richmond, VA)
2024-25 Record: 28-7 (15-3 A-10)
Quickly: VCU marched to A-10 Regular Season and Tournament titles during a 28-7 season under now Virginia Head Coach Ryan Odom in 2024-25. Phil Martelli Jr. takes over this season in Richmond after a successful run at Bryant, which included the America East Regular Season and Tournament titles. The Broncs' staff has plenty of ties to the Martelli family, with Head Coach Kevin Baggett playing for then-Saint Joseph's assistant coach Phil Martelli Sr. from 1985-88 and Assistant Coach Geoff Arnold both playing for and serving as an assistant coach under Martelli Sr. with the Hawks (player – 1985-86, coach – 2008-09 – 2017-18). Arnold and Martelli Jr. were on the same Saint Joseph's staff in 2017-18, with Martelli Jr. serving as Director of Program Administration. Rider and VCU have met just once on the hardwood – a 90-79 Rams victory on Dec. 30, 2018 in Richmond.