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LORETTO -- Saint Francis men's basketball coach Luke McConnell announced his 2025-26 non-conference slate on Monday.
The highlights include games against Oklahoma, TCU, Xavier, Temple and Florida. In addition, the Red Flash will host former Northeast Conference foes Mount St. Mary's and Robert Morris as part of four non-conference home games.
"We have always believed in putting together a tough and challenging non-conference schedule and this year will be no different," McConnell said. "Our group looks forward to the challenge and I am excited to compete with them against some high level competition from all around the country. Our guys will be well prepared as head into NEC play."
McConnell will make his head coaching debut at Oklahoma on Nov. 3. It will be the first meeting against the Sooners, and the first time the Red Flash will be in the Sooner State since 1973-74 against Oklahoma State. It will be the 10th time the Frankies have played an SEC school and the first since playing at Texas A&M in 2016-17.
McConnell looks to become the sixth head coach dating back to 1945-46 to earn a win in his first game as the Red Flash head coach, but just the second to earn win his head coaching debut on the road after John Clark earned his first victory at Duquesne in his first game in 1966-67.
Dick Conover (Old Dominion), Pete Lonergan (Pitt Johnstown), Kevin Porter (Lock Haven), Jim Baron (Slippery Rock) and Bobby Jones (Morehead State) all won their first game coached as a head coach with the Flash at home.
The Flash will play at Oklahoma and at TCU to begin the season. It marks the first time ever that the two schools have met in team history.
Women's schedule
LORETTO -- Saint Francis women's basketball head coach Chynna Bozeman announced her 2025-26 non-conference schedule Monday.
Highlighting the slate are five games at DeGol Arena, four games against teams from Western Pennsylvania, and games at Pitt and Xavier.
Bozeman makes her head coaching debut at Duquesne on Nov. 3. It will be the third time in the last four years that the Red Flash will open the season against a Western Pennsylvania team, after facing off against Robert Morris in the inaugural game in 2022-23 and 2023-24. The Dukes will also be the team's season opener for the second time in team history and first since 2010-11, marking the 45th meeting in the all-time series dating back to the first game in program history (1968-69).
"Our non-conference schedule will challenge us in different ways and prepare us for the battles of NEC play," Bozeman said. "Facing programs like Robert Morris, Xavier, and Army West Point, and a competitive Thanksgiving Tournament at Iona will test our toughness, execution, and mentality, giving us the experience and confidence we'll need in conference."
The squad will start on the road for the 44th time in team history, seeking its first win to open a campaign since defeating Wisconsin 103-100 on November 13, 2016.
Bozeman becomes the sixth head coach to open her Red Flash coaching career on the road (only Jenny Prezekwas, Myndi Hill, and Joe Haigh opened their time in Loretto at home). She will also look to become the third head coach to win their inaugural Saint Francis game, joining Veronica Bussard, Hill, and Haigh.