SIOUX FALLS, S.D.-- Officials at The Summit League have announced the 16-game conference basketball schedules for both men's and women's teams Thursday. North Dakota, in its first year in the league, will play home-and-home series with each of the other eight Summit schools: Denver, North Dakota State, Omaha, Oral Roberts, Purdue Fort Wayne, South Dakota, South Dakota State and Western Illinois.

UND's first season in the Summit will begin Dec. 28 on the men's side as the Fighting Hawks host the Mastadons of Purdue Fort Wayne. The UND women host the 'Dons two days later to start league play.

The North Dakota women, who won a pair of Big Sky Conference titles (2014,2017) in the six seasons in that league, will face the defending Summit League regular season champs, South Dakota, on Jan. 24 at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center and then again on Mar. 2 in the regular season finale in Vermillion, S.D. The Jackrabbits of South Dakota State were the league's tournament champions and will visit the Betty on Jan. 18 before a return trip to Frost Arena in Brookings, S.D. on Feb. 9. The two showdowns with North Dakota State, who UND has defeated in all six Division I matchups, come in Fargo, N.D. on Jan. 20 and in Grand Forks on Feb. 7. 

On the men's side, the regular season and tournament champ is SDSU, who comes to the Betty on Jan. 16 with that same Feb. 9 date for the Brookings, S.D. visit. The NDSU tilts both happen a day prior to the women's games, with the Bison hosting the first meeting on Jan. 19 and the Betty playing host on Feb. 6.

Times will be officially announced soon. 

Key dates:
*at NDSU - Jan 19 (men) and  Jan 20 (women)
*vs. NDSU - Feb 6 (men) and Feb 7 (women)
*vs. SDSU - Jan 16 (men) and Jan 18 (women)
*at SDSU - Feb 9 (both)
*vs. USD - Jan 23 (men) and Jan 24 (women)
*at USD - Mar 2 (both-- reg. season finale)
 

Women
Dec 30	PURDUE FORT WAYNE
Jan 2	@ Oral Roberts
Jan 5	@ Denver
Jan 9	OMAHA
Jan 13	WESTERN ILLINOIS
Jan 18	SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
Jan 20	@North Dakota State
Jan 24	SOUTH DAKOTA
Feb 1	@ Western Illinois
Feb 3	@ Omaha
Feb 7	NORTH DAKOTA STATE
Feb 9	@ SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
Feb 16	ORAL ROBERTS
Feb 23	DENVER
Feb 28	@ Purdue Fort Wayne
Mar 2	@ South Dakota

 

Men
Dec 28	PURDUE FORT WAYNE
Jan 3	@ Oral Roberts
Jan 5	@ Denver
Jan 10	OMAHA
Jan 12	WESTERN ILLINOIS
Jan 16	SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
Jan 19	@North Dakota State
Jan 23	SOUTH DAKOTA
Jan 31	@ Western Illinois
Feb 3	@ Omaha
Feb 6	NORTH DAKOTA STATE
Feb 9	@ SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
Feb 16	ORAL ROBERTS
Feb 23	DENVER
Feb 28	@ Purdue Fort Wayne
Mar 2	@ South Dakota