Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men’s Basketball 2023-24 Schedule Announced; Season Tickets Now on Sale
8/21/2023 8:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
2023-24 MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE
LEWISBURG, Pa. – A new era of Bucknell men's basketball officially tips off on Monday, Nov. 6 when the Bison open the 2023-24 season at home against longtime rival Delaware at Sojka Pavilion. The campus and community excitement is palpable as former Bucknell standout John Griffin III has returned to his alma mater as head coach, and the program is pushing for a sellout at Sojka for opening night.
The Delaware game is one of five non-conference home games on this year's slate in addition to the nine Patriot League home dates. Season tickets for all 14 regular-season home games are now on sale through the Bucknell Campus Box Office. A combo package is also available for those also wishing to purchase women's basketball season tickets.
Season-ticket holders receive priority opportunities to purchase Patriot League Tournament and NCAA Tournament tickets, and they are also invited to an exclusive postgame reception after all home men's contests. And as a special incentive, the first 300 season-ticket purchasers will also receive a limited-edition orange and blue Bison scarf to wear and display with pride at Sojka Pavilion.
Please note that all 2022-23 season-ticket holders are guaranteed to retain their same seats by renewing prior to Sept. 6. Single-game tickets will also go on sale on Sept. 6.
Bucknell and Delaware first met in 1906, and the two schools played a number of memorable contests as conference rivals in both the Middle Atlantic Conference and the East Coast Conference. Bucknell's first-ever NCAA Tournament run started with a win over the Blue Hens in the 1987 ECC quarterfinals. The Bison have a 52-34 lead in the all-time series, but the two teams have not squared off since 2009.
Coach Griffin has already announced an "Orange Out" for the Delaware game and has introduced the concept of the "Sojka Sixth Man" as the team's student fan group. What better way to usher in this exciting new era of Bison basketball than with a SELLOUT AT SOJKA on Nov. 6.
"Sojka Pavilion is absolutely one of the finest arenas of its size in the country, and when Sojka is rocking there is no better home-court atmosphere," said Griffin, who went to the NCAA Tournament twice as a Bucknell player in 2005 and 2006 and twice more as an assistant coach in 2017 and 2018. "In my first few months back in Lewisburg, I can already sense the energy surrounding our program, and I can't wait for our guys to run out of the tunnel in front of a big crowd on Nov. 6."
The Delaware game marks the start of a very challenging non-conference slate, as Bucknell will take on three teams that won at least one NCAA Tournament game last season (Duke, Penn State, Princeton) and two others that played in the College Basketball Invitational postseason tournament (Radford, Southern Indiana). Another opponent, Merrimack, won the Northeast Conference regular-season and tournament titles but was ineligible to go to the NCAA Tournament as a transitioning Division I team. The NEC team that replaced Merrimack was Fairleigh Dickinson, which earned Cinderella status by winning two NCAA games, including a shocking 16-over-1 upset of Purdue.
Eight of Bucknell's 13 non-conference foes posted winning records a year ago, and four won at least 20 games. All told, Bucknell's non-league opponents combined for a 234-199 (.540) record in 2022-23.
"Our schedule is set up to give our players experience in competitive environments early in the season, and to provide our fans and alumni with the chance to cheer on our team in some of the best venues in the country," said Griffin. "As a player, competing in places like Cameron Indoor Stadium and The Palestra leave lifetime memories. There is a brand associated with our non-conference schedule that entices recruits and attracts fans from around the country. This year's schedule is certainly going to be challenging, but we want our guys to play competition that is going to make them uncomfortable in order to help them learn and grow."
After hosting Delaware, the Bison play their next four on the road at Penn (Nov. 8), Niagara (Nov. 11), La Salle (Nov. 14), and Duke (Nov. 17) as part of a school-record-tying nine-game month of November. That stretch includes two games in Griffin's hometown of Philadelphia.
The La Salle and Duke away games, along with the Nov. 20 home game against Southern Indiana, are part of the Blue Devil Challenge multi-team event. Bucknell will be visiting Duke for the first time since the historic 2005-06 season. That Blue Devil squad was ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time, and several publications have them positioned No. 1 again this year in their early preseason rankings.
Southern Indiana transitioned to Division I last season and finished 9-9 in the tough Ohio Valley Conference. The Screaming Eagles accepted a postseason bid to the CBI, where they fell to San Jose State in the first round.
Bucknell will play two other home games against 2023 postseason teams in Princeton and Radford. Princeton comes to Sojka Pavilion on Nov. 29 fresh off an Ivy League title and a run to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. The Tigers knocked off Arizona and Missouri last March before falling to Creighton to finish the campaign 23-9.
The Highlanders won 21 games last season and finished 12-6 in the Big South Conference. After falling to Campbell in the Big South Tournament semifinals, they won twice at the CBI in Daytona Beach before falling to Charlotte in the semifinals. Radford's Dec. 16 appearance at Sojka Pavilion will mark the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
Bucknell's fifth non-conference home game comes on Dec. 30 against Saint Peter's. The Peacocks, two years removed from a Sweet Sixteen run, defeated the Bison last season in Jersey City and will now make their first-ever trip to Lewisburg.
Bucknell's other non-league road tilts are slated for Nov. 22 at St. Bonaventure, Nov. 25 at Marist, Dec. 2 at Penn State, and Dec. 22 at Merrimack. This will be the first trip to Penn State since the 2019-20 season, and the Bison will visit St. Bonaventure for the first time since the 2018-19 season opener, when Bucknell came away with a thrilling 88-85 overtime win.
The Bison begin the 34th season of Patriot League play at home against Holy Cross on Jan. 3. The regular season wraps up with a Senior Day home game against Lafayette on March 2, with the Patriot League Tournament starting three days later with first-round games.
LEWISBURG, Pa. – A new era of Bucknell men's basketball officially tips off on Monday, Nov. 6 when the Bison open the 2023-24 season at home against longtime rival Delaware at Sojka Pavilion. The campus and community excitement is palpable as former Bucknell standout John Griffin III has returned to his alma mater as head coach, and the program is pushing for a sellout at Sojka for opening night.
The Delaware game is one of five non-conference home games on this year's slate in addition to the nine Patriot League home dates. Season tickets for all 14 regular-season home games are now on sale through the Bucknell Campus Box Office. A combo package is also available for those also wishing to purchase women's basketball season tickets.
Season-ticket holders receive priority opportunities to purchase Patriot League Tournament and NCAA Tournament tickets, and they are also invited to an exclusive postgame reception after all home men's contests. And as a special incentive, the first 300 season-ticket purchasers will also receive a limited-edition orange and blue Bison scarf to wear and display with pride at Sojka Pavilion.
Please note that all 2022-23 season-ticket holders are guaranteed to retain their same seats by renewing prior to Sept. 6. Single-game tickets will also go on sale on Sept. 6.
Bucknell and Delaware first met in 1906, and the two schools played a number of memorable contests as conference rivals in both the Middle Atlantic Conference and the East Coast Conference. Bucknell's first-ever NCAA Tournament run started with a win over the Blue Hens in the 1987 ECC quarterfinals. The Bison have a 52-34 lead in the all-time series, but the two teams have not squared off since 2009.
Coach Griffin has already announced an "Orange Out" for the Delaware game and has introduced the concept of the "Sojka Sixth Man" as the team's student fan group. What better way to usher in this exciting new era of Bison basketball than with a SELLOUT AT SOJKA on Nov. 6.
"Sojka Pavilion is absolutely one of the finest arenas of its size in the country, and when Sojka is rocking there is no better home-court atmosphere," said Griffin, who went to the NCAA Tournament twice as a Bucknell player in 2005 and 2006 and twice more as an assistant coach in 2017 and 2018. "In my first few months back in Lewisburg, I can already sense the energy surrounding our program, and I can't wait for our guys to run out of the tunnel in front of a big crowd on Nov. 6."
The Delaware game marks the start of a very challenging non-conference slate, as Bucknell will take on three teams that won at least one NCAA Tournament game last season (Duke, Penn State, Princeton) and two others that played in the College Basketball Invitational postseason tournament (Radford, Southern Indiana). Another opponent, Merrimack, won the Northeast Conference regular-season and tournament titles but was ineligible to go to the NCAA Tournament as a transitioning Division I team. The NEC team that replaced Merrimack was Fairleigh Dickinson, which earned Cinderella status by winning two NCAA games, including a shocking 16-over-1 upset of Purdue.
Eight of Bucknell's 13 non-conference foes posted winning records a year ago, and four won at least 20 games. All told, Bucknell's non-league opponents combined for a 234-199 (.540) record in 2022-23.
"Our schedule is set up to give our players experience in competitive environments early in the season, and to provide our fans and alumni with the chance to cheer on our team in some of the best venues in the country," said Griffin. "As a player, competing in places like Cameron Indoor Stadium and The Palestra leave lifetime memories. There is a brand associated with our non-conference schedule that entices recruits and attracts fans from around the country. This year's schedule is certainly going to be challenging, but we want our guys to play competition that is going to make them uncomfortable in order to help them learn and grow."
After hosting Delaware, the Bison play their next four on the road at Penn (Nov. 8), Niagara (Nov. 11), La Salle (Nov. 14), and Duke (Nov. 17) as part of a school-record-tying nine-game month of November. That stretch includes two games in Griffin's hometown of Philadelphia.
The La Salle and Duke away games, along with the Nov. 20 home game against Southern Indiana, are part of the Blue Devil Challenge multi-team event. Bucknell will be visiting Duke for the first time since the historic 2005-06 season. That Blue Devil squad was ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time, and several publications have them positioned No. 1 again this year in their early preseason rankings.
Southern Indiana transitioned to Division I last season and finished 9-9 in the tough Ohio Valley Conference. The Screaming Eagles accepted a postseason bid to the CBI, where they fell to San Jose State in the first round.
Bucknell will play two other home games against 2023 postseason teams in Princeton and Radford. Princeton comes to Sojka Pavilion on Nov. 29 fresh off an Ivy League title and a run to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. The Tigers knocked off Arizona and Missouri last March before falling to Creighton to finish the campaign 23-9.
The Highlanders won 21 games last season and finished 12-6 in the Big South Conference. After falling to Campbell in the Big South Tournament semifinals, they won twice at the CBI in Daytona Beach before falling to Charlotte in the semifinals. Radford's Dec. 16 appearance at Sojka Pavilion will mark the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
Bucknell's fifth non-conference home game comes on Dec. 30 against Saint Peter's. The Peacocks, two years removed from a Sweet Sixteen run, defeated the Bison last season in Jersey City and will now make their first-ever trip to Lewisburg.
Bucknell's other non-league road tilts are slated for Nov. 22 at St. Bonaventure, Nov. 25 at Marist, Dec. 2 at Penn State, and Dec. 22 at Merrimack. This will be the first trip to Penn State since the 2019-20 season, and the Bison will visit St. Bonaventure for the first time since the 2018-19 season opener, when Bucknell came away with a thrilling 88-85 overtime win.
The Bison begin the 34th season of Patriot League play at home against Holy Cross on Jan. 3. The regular season wraps up with a Senior Day home game against Lafayette on March 2, with the Patriot League Tournament starting three days later with first-round games.
St. Joseph's at Bucknell Baseball Highlights 3-7-2026
Sunday, March 08
Bucknell Women's Basketball Post Game: Patriot League First Round
Saturday, March 07
Bucknell Men's Basketball Post Game: Patriot League Quarterfinal @ Navy
Friday, March 06
Bucknell Men's Basketball Post Game: Patriot League Tournament 1st Round vs Navy
Wednesday, March 04