SAN ANTONIO – Officials from the American Conference released the conference-wide slate on Thursday, revealing the full 2025-26 UTSA men’s basketball conference schedule for the second season under head coach Austin Claunch. With 11 newcomers on the roster, Claunch’s Roadrunners will tip off the 18-game American schedule on New Year’s Eve, Wednesday, Dec. 31, at Eleanor R. Baldwin Arena in Boca Raton, Florida, with a matchup at Florida Atlantic. The American schedule will bring nine conference games to the UTSA home slate at the Convocation Center.
The opening date of the 2025-26 season is Monday, Nov. 3, across NCAA Division I men’s basketball.
The league-opening opposition, the FAU Owls, were 18-16 with a first-round NIT appearance last year in the first season under John Jakus. Following the conference road debut for the Roadrunners in Boca, UTSA will travel to Philadelphia for a Jan. 3 date at Temple. The Owls finished 17-15 a year ago in the second season under Adam Fisher. The home conference debut will bring Charlotte to the Convocation Center, kicking off a three-game home stand on Wednesday, Jan. 7, following up on Saturday, Jan. 10, with Tulane, then Wednesday, Jan. 14, hosting Rice. The Charlotte 49ers were 11-22 last year. The Tulane Green Wave was 19-15 after falling to Memphis in the American semifinal by a single point and going on to face USC in the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament. The Rice Owls went 13-19 in the first year under Rob Lanier and suffered a home-and-home sweep at the hands of the Roadrunners.
Reigning regular season and tournament American champion Memphis is next at the FedEx Forum in the lone meeting on Jan. 18. The Roadrunners have played the Tigers close home and away over the past two seasons, while Memphis has been steadily ranked and finished last season 29-6, ending on an opening-round NCAA loss to Colorado State. The second leg of the road swing sends UTSA to Denton for the first of two meetings with North Texas in just over two weeks, meeting the Mean Green at the Super Pit on Jan. 21 – where the Roadrunners have pulled out wins in each of the past two trips by a combined six points in two low-scoring affairs. UTSA snapped UNT’s 11-game home win streak, and the Mean Green went on to a 27-9 finish, reaching the second round of the NIT after exiting the American Championships – leading to UNT entering 2025-26 under first-year head coach Daniyal Robinson.
The first return game of the conference season is set for Jan. 24, as Temple visits the Convocation Center for only the third time. The home stand continues on Jan. 28, with UAB visiting San Antonio, fresh off a 24-13 campaign that ended in overtime three rounds into the NIT.
February begins on the single meeting with South Florida, Feb. 4, at the Yuengling Center in Tampa, facing the Bulls in the first year under Bryan Hodgson. USF went 13-19 on the season following the tragic passing of head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim right before the season. The Roadrunners return to the Convo on Feb. 7 for the rematch with North Texas.
An all-Carolina road swing spans the following week, as UTSA travels to East Carolina to face the Pirates at Williams Arena on Feb. 11. Last season, the Pirates went 19-14, proving troublesome for the Roadrunners down the stretch, fending off UTSA in overtime in Greenville and then again in the opening round of the conference tournament. On Feb. 15, UTSA makes the return game to Charlotte at Halton Arena, where UTSA picked up a big win to close the regular season in 2024-25.
Returning home on Feb. 18, UTSA hosts Florida Atlantic in the Convo, where the Owls escaped in overtime on the last visit in 2024.
Back on the road, UTSA heads to Tulsa on Feb. 22, taking on the Golden Hurricane at the Donald W. Reynolds Center. Tulsa was 13-20 last year and heading into the fourth season under Eric Konkol.
East Carolina travels to San Antonio for the rematch on Feb. 25, followed by the March 1 home finale against Wichita State. The Shockers were 19-15 last year, splitting with the Roadrunners toward the home team, playing an opening-round game in the NIT.
The American Conference set the final game on March 8 in Houston, giving UTSA the Rice rivalry in the season finale, matching up the Roadrunners and Owls for the 28th time to conclude the regular season.
Beginning this season, the 2026 American Men’s Basketball Championship will feature the top 10 teams in a new five-day bracket format. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will advance directly to the semifinals, while the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds will maintain BYEs to the quarterfinals. The No. 5 and No. 6 seeds will receive BYEs to the second round.
The 2026 Championship will run Wednesday through Sunday, March 11-15 at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama.
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2025-26 UTSA Men’s Basketball American Conference Schedule |
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Wed. |
Dec. 31 |
at Florida Atlantic* |
Boca Raton, Fla. |
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Sat. |
Jan. 3 |
at Temple* |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
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Wed. |
Jan. 7 |
Charlotte* |
San Antonio, Texas |
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Sat. |
Jan. 10 |
Tulane* |
San Antonio, Texas |
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Wed. |
Jan. 14 |
Rice* |
San Antonio, Texas |
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Sun. |
Jan. 18 |
at Memphis* |
Memphis, Tenn. |
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Wed. |
Jan. 21 |
at North Texas* |
Denton, Texas |
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Sat. |
Jan. 24 |
Temple* |
San Antonio, Texas |
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Wed. |
Jan. 28 |
UAB* |
San Antonio, Texas |
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Wed. |
Feb. 4 |
at South Florida* |
Tampa, Fla. |
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Sat. |
Feb. 7 |
North Texas* |
San Antonio, Texas |
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Wed. |
Feb. 11 |
at East Carolina* |
Greenville, N.C. |
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Sun. |
Feb. 15 |
at Charlotte* |
Charlotte, N.C. |
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Wed. |
Feb. 18 |
Florida Atlantic* |
San Antonio, Texas |
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Sun. |
Feb. 22 |
at Tulsa* |
Tulsa, Okla. |
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Wed. |
Feb. 25 |
East Carolina* |
San Antonio, Texas |
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Sun. |
Mar. 1 |
Wichita State* |
San Antonio, Texas |
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Sun. |
Mar. 8 |
at Rice* |
Houston, Texas |
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Wed.-Sun. |
Mar 11-15 |
American Championships |
Birmingham, Ala. (Legacy Arena) |
- UTSA -