NMU has 30 games on its schedule beginning in mid-November and running through the final day of February before an expected appearance in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament would follow.

The appearance is expected since the Wildcats won the tourney last season and has won either that or the regular-season title for the past three seasons under seventh-year head coach Matt Majkrzak.

Last winter’s tourney title culminated a six-game winning streak, with victories over Grand Valley State, Michigan Tech and Lake Superior State in the tournament. That guaranteed Northern a spot in the NCAA Division II tournament, where the Wildcats lost their opener to Michigan Tech to end the season with a still impressive 22-10 record, which included 13-7 in the GLIAC.

This fall, NMU opens with four games in a row over two weekends at Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, for a series of neutral-site games at the Justagame Fieldhouse, a 53,000-square-foot sports complex with multiple basketball courts located about 300 miles south of Marquette. It marks the third straight season Northern has played there, already compiling a 5-1 record in those games.

Northern Michigan University head coach Matt Majkrzak confers with the Wildcats’ bench during a GLIAC men’s basketball game played against Davenport at Vandament Arena in Marquette on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

NMU plays Maryville (Missouri) on Friday, Nov. 14, and Missouri-St. Louis a day later, then goes back to face Northern State (South Dakota) on Friday, Nov. 21, and Northwest Missouri State two days later.

The Wildcats return to Marquette for their home opener at Vandament Arena against Concordia (Wisconsin) at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 26, the afternoon before Thanksgiving Day, then stay in town for their turkey feast to also host Minnesota-Duluth at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 29.

Northern jumps into its GLIAC schedule the first week of December with road games to the south. The Wildcats play in Kenosha, Wisconsin, against Wisconsin-Parkside on Thursday, Dec. 4, then head further down the lakeshore to Chicago to take on Roosevelt on Saturday, Dec. 6.

NMU then takes a break from the conference campaign for a home encounter against NCAA Division III Marian (Wisconsin) at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, then embarks for an overseas — but not foreign — trip to the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

All the Wildcats are saying at this point is that there are games on three consecutive days, Friday through Sunday, Dec. 19-21, against teams, at times, and in locations on the U.S. island territory to be announced.

Then the NMU men return to the Great White North for something of a holiday fest, jumping back into GLIAC play at home on the night of New Year’s Day at 7:30 p.m. against Davenport.

Then at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 3, is another home league game against Grand Valley as the rest of the regular season will be conference tilts.

After that, Northern travels to Houghton to take on Michigan Tech for one of its two annual games against their closest Upper Peninsula rival at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 8. As it has been for a number of years, that game is expected to be televised by WLUC-TV6 or Fox-U.P.

The following Monday, Jan. 12, is a 7:30 p.m. home game against Ferris State before the schedule settles into a predictable Thursday evening-Saturday afternoon rhythm for the remaining seven weeks of the season.

It picks up that way the week of the Ferris game with road games at LSSU on Jan. 15 and at Saginaw Valley State on Jan. 17.

The Wildcats return home for games against Purdue Northwest at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 22 and against Wayne State at 3 p.m. on Jan. 24.

Back on the road will be games in Allendale vs. GVSU on Jan. 29 and in Grand Rapids vs. Davenport on Jan. 31.

Then NMU is back in Marquette to host SVSU at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 5 and entertain LSSU at 3 p.m. on Feb. 7.

Another road trip puts the Wildcats in Detroit against Wayne State on Feb. 12 and in Hammond, Indiana, to face Purdue NW at Feb. 14.

Three of Northern’s final four regular-season games are at Vandament Arena, including a 7:30 p.m. game on Feb. 19 against MTU, another game expected to be shown on WLUC-TV6 or Fox-U.P.

A contest in Big Rapids against FSU is the final road game of the season on Feb. 21.

The final week features home games against Roosevelt at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 26 and against Parkside at 3 p.m. on Feb. 28.

If past seasons hold, the GLIAC Tournament will open with on-campus quarterfinal games the following Wednesday, March 4, with the semifinals and finals set to be hosted by the highest remaining seed that weekend.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release previewing the schedule. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.