​Drury University head men’s basketball coach Chris Foster has announced the Panthers’ schedule for the 2026-27 season. Drury will play a 27-game regular-season slate, with 16 home contests at the O’Reilly Family Event Center this winter, including six games against teams that earned bids to the 2026 NCAA Division II postseason. The Panthers will begin the season with a stretch of five straight home games, highlighted by two-day classics at The O’ during November.
The season-opening Tip-Off Challenge, set for November 13-14, will pit Drury against Union in its first-ever meeting, followed by a matchup with Harding the next day as part of a four-team classic that also includes fellow Great Lakes Valley Conference foe Southwest Baptist. On November 17, Drury will host Central Bible University for a non-conference game at The O’. The Panthers will then host the DoubleTree by Hilton Thanksgiving Classic, featuring DU matchups against two MIAA programs: Pittsburg State on November 24 and Central Missouri, a 2026 NCAA Regional qualifier, on November 25.
Drury’s GLVC schedule begins the following week with a road game against defending conference tournament champion William Jewell on November 30 in Liberty, Missouri. The Panthers return to Springfield for three consecutive home games, starting with a league contest against 2026 GLVC regular-season champion Rockhurst on December 2. Drury will then welcome Illinois Springfield to The O’ on December 5, followed by a break from GLVC play for back-to-back non-conference games against Ozark Christian on December 14 and Arkansas Tech on December 20, leading into a 13-day holiday break.
Upon resuming play, the Panthers will travel for GLVC road contests at McKendree on January 2 and Missouri S&T on January 7, returning to Springfield for a January 9 clash with Truman State. A trip to Illinois Springfield on January 13 precedes Drury’s longest home stand of the conference schedule, beginning with a January 16 matchup against Missouri-St. Louis. The home stretch continues with games versus Southwest Baptist on January 18 and McKendree on January 20, before Drury journeys to Indianapolis for its final GLVC regular-season contest against the Greyhounds on January 23.
February brings a two-game home stand to open the final month of the regular season, with back-to-back home dates against Lewis on January 30 and Missouri S&T on February 3. The Panthers will hit the road again on February 6 for a conference game against Quincy, followed by a return trip to Kansas City for a rematch with Rockhurst on February 10. Drury will close out its home schedule with games against Upper Iowa on February 13 and William Jewell on February 17, before concluding the regular season with three away games. The stretch begins with a February 20 matchup at Maryville in St. Louis, followed by trips to Southwest Baptist on February 24 and Lincoln on February 27 to finish the GLVC schedule.
The GLVC Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament is slated for March 4-7 in St. Joseph, Missouri, with NCAA Division II Regional play set for the following week, March 12-16. The season will conclude with the Elite Eight, as the Panthers aim to contend for a postseason run. This schedule sets the stage for an ambitious year of GLVC play, non-conference tests, and a balanced mix of home and road challenges as Drury seeks to make a deep postseason push.