NEW PALTZ, NY - The SUNY New Paltz Men's basketball team released its' 2026-27 season schedule today with the hope of making an impact on their new opponents in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC).
After a more than 60-year tenure as a member of the State University of New York Athletic Conference SUNYAC), the Hawks embark on their first entry into the highly competitive NJAC, which saw two teams earn spots in the 2025-26 NCAA DIII national tournament.
Under the Hawks 10th year head coach, Keith Kenney ('09, '01), whose .517 won-lost percentage is tops in New Paltz mens's basketball history, the Hawks are leaving SUNYAC after five consecutive SUNYAC postseason appearances, including two semi-finalist finishes, one runner-up finish and their first ever SUNYAC championship in 2023-24.
The Hawks 2026-27 schedule is once again a challenging one with 13 of 16 teams having earned postseason playoff spots a year ago, with six finishing as conference semifinalists and one conference champion and two landing spots in the NCAA DIII national tournament.
Of the Hawks 25 games, 11 are at the Hawk Center, while 14 are on the road. Of the Hawks' seven non-conference games to start the season, only two will be at the Hawk Center, allowing the Hawks to become accustomed to winning in hostile arenas.
The 2026-27 begins at home on November 6, hosting the Bulldogs of Brooklyn College, a semifinalist in the CUNYAC 2025-26 tournament. Three straight away games follow: at Eastern Connecticut State University, Purchase College, and Utica University; all three saw postseason play a year ago.
They conclude their non-conference schedule on the road, facing the Rams of Farmingdale State College and the Privateers of SUNY Maritime College.
The 18-game NJAC season opens on December 2 away at the Roadrunners of Ramapo College of New Jersey, then home against the Stockton University Ospreys on December 5. One of the Hawks' earliest post-World War II men's basketball opponents (1948-49) - the Cougars of Kean University - returns to the schedule at home on January 17.
New Paltz concludes the 2026-27 regular and NJAC seasons on February 17 at the very same Kean University. Six teams will qualify for the NJAC postseason tournament starting with seeds three through six playing in the quarterfinal round, beginning on February 20. The semifinal games will be February 24, with the championship game on February 27.
The NJAC champion will receive an automatic berth in the 64 team NCAA DIII Men's Basketball Tournament, with the first and second round games on March 5-6, the Sweet 16 games on March 12-13, the national semifinals on March 28 and the DIII national championship game on March 30. The semifinal and final games will be held at the UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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