FARGO – The Summit League basketball program will have a new look for the upcoming season.

The conference announced on Wednesday, Aug. 7 that the league will have a hybrid schedule this season, with teams playing league games on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, with the occasional doubleheader.

North Dakota State will face its biggest rival on two separate Wednesdays during the season.

The Bison men’s team will face South Dakota State in Brookings, South Dakota on Wednesday, Feb. 19, and the NDSU women’s team will play at the new First Bank and Trust Arena on Wednesday, Jan. 29.

In fact, all of NDSU’s women’s games against the Jackrabbits will be on Wednesdays. The Jacks’ trip to Fargo is on Feb. 12.

With the Summit League having nine members for the second year in a row, scheduling becomes a challenge. Commissioner Josh Fenton has spent the last two years trying to find the right formula for playing games. He said on Hot Mic in March 2024 that could include “playing on non-traditional dates.”

The league also pushed the start date of games back from the beginning of the year. A common complaint from fans over the past few seasons was that league games were played before Christmas or during the holiday season due to little to no students on campus for the league’s biggest games.

For example, the NDSU men hosted SDSU for two consecutive seasons during the holiday season. In December 2021, the Bison faced UND on Dec. 22 in front of 3,510 fans.

The league announced last month that the conference tournament would move to a Wednesday-Sunday format in Sioux Falls for the first time after its traditional Tuesday night conclusion. The tournament will begin March 5 and conclude March 9.

Dave Richman’s Bison men’s team will open league play at home against St. Thomas on Thursday, Jan. 2. The Tommies eliminated NDSU from last year’s conference tournament in the quarterfinals. The Bison will host North Dakota in a pair of games at Scheels Center on Saturday, Jan. 25.

There will be no doubleheaders in Grand Forks this year.

The league’s move to Wednesdays could also appeal to television. The conference is in the second year of a three-year deal with CBS Sports Network. Last year, the league televised games on Saturdays and Sundays, but Wednesdays could get more attention or have better timeslots than traditionally busy Saturdays during the season.

Jory Collins The NDSU women’s basketball team will begin conference play on the road at St. Thomas on Jan. 4, and play its first home game against Denver on Jan. 9.

NDSU men’s basketball 2024-25 conference schedule

Jan. 2 vs. St. Thomas

Jan. 4 vs. Omaha

January 9 – At Oral Roberts

January 11 – in Denver

Jan. 16 vs. Kansas City

January 18 – in South Dakota

Jan. 25 – vs. North Dakota (double)

Jan. 30 vs. South Dakota State

February 1st – In St. Thomas

February 6 – in Kansas City

February 8 – In Omaha

February 13 – vs. Oral Roberts

Feb. 15 vs. Denver

February 19 – South Dakota State (Wednesday)

February 22 – in North Dakota

Feb. 26 vs. South Dakota (Wednesday)

NDSU women’s basketball 2024-25 conference schedule

January 4 – In St. Thomas

Jan. 9 vs. Denver

January 11 – vs. Oral Roberts

January 16 – In Omaha

January 18 – in Kansas City

January 22 – in South Dakota (Wednesday)

Jan. 25 – vs. North Dakota (double)

January 29 – South Dakota State (Wednesday)

February 1st vs. St. Thomas

Feb. 8 vs. South Dakota

Feb. 12 vs. South Dakota State (Wednesday)

February 15 – in North Dakota

February 20 – in Denver

February 22 – Oral Roberts

Feb. 27 vs. Kansas City

March 1 – vs. Omaha

Dom Izzo is the Sports Director at WDAY-TV. He began working at WDAY in 2006 as a weekend sports anchor and was promoted to Sports Director in 2010.