The 2026‑27 college basketball season will open for James Madison University’s men’s and women’s teams on November 2, when they host the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks in a highly anticipated matchup.
The men’s game will take place at the Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, marking the first meeting between the programs in that city since the 2010‑11 campaign and renewing a series that stands tied at one‑all in all‑time meetings.
Miami (Ohio) arrives with momentum from a perfect 31‑0 campaign in 2025‑26, a feat that earned the RedHawks an at‑large berth in the NCAA Tournament and cemented their status as one of the nation’s most dominant mid‑major programs.
The women’s squads will also meet for the first time in program history, each having finished 2‑0 in last season’s MAC‑SBC Challenge and both reaching the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, setting the stage for a historic first‑ever encounter.
A Milestone Meeting in Harrisonburg
The games are part of the MAC‑SBC Challenge, a scheduling alliance between the Sun Belt Conference and the Mid‑American Conference that pits select teams from each league against one another at the start of the season, adding a layer of competitive intrigue to the early slate.
With both programs eager to build on recent successes, the November 2 showdown promises a blend of tradition, rivalry and new storylines that could shape the early narrative of the 2026‑27 season.