West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois University men's basketball program has announced its 2024-25 schedule. The Leathernecks will play a total of 31 games, including 11 non-conference matchups and 20 games within the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC).

The season begins in California with games against San Jose State on November 4 and Pepperdine on November 6. The team's first home games at Western Hall will feature Green Bay on November 13 and Central Arkansas on November 16. Notably, Green Bay's new head coach, Doug Gottlieb, will make his debut this season.

Following these home games, the Leathernecks will travel to Cedar Falls for a game against Northern Iowa on November 19 before returning to Macomb to face Monmouth College on November 21. They then head to Mobile, Alabama, for back-to-back games against South Alabama and Incarnate Word on November 26 and November 27 respectively.

In early December, Western Illinois will host Saint Ambrose on December 4 and East-West University on December 6. Their final non-conference game is scheduled for December 14 in Vermillion, South Dakota against former Summit League opponent South Dakota.

The OVC has expanded its conference schedule from an 18-game format to a 20-game format for the upcoming season. This ensures that each team plays both home and away matchups against every other team in the conference. WIU starts its conference play at home against Tennessee Tech on December 17.

A three-game road trip follows with visits to Lindenwood on December 21, SIUE on January 2 after a holiday break, and Eastern Illinois on January 4. The Leathernecks return home to face UT Martin on January 9 and Tennessee State two days later.

Western Illinois then embarks on another road trip facing Morehead State—the reigning OVC champions—on January 16 and Southern Indiana’s Screaming Eagles in Evansville on January 18. Four consecutive home games follow: Little Rock (January 23), SEMO (January 25), Eastern Illinois (January 30), and SIUE (February 1).

Subsequent travels take them to Tennessee State (February 6) and UT Martin (February 8). The final full weekend of home action includes matches against Southern Indiana (February 13) and Morehead State (February 15). The Leathernecks' last road trips are scheduled at SEMO (February 20) and Little Rock (February 22).

Western Illinois concludes their regular-season schedule with a home game versus Lindenwood on February 25 before ending conference play at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville on February 27.

The OVC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships are set for March 5-8 in Evansville, Indiana.

For further updates regarding Leatherneck Men's Basketball, visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow the team’s social media channels including X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.

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