Marquette, MI – July 22nd, 2026 – With Matt Majkrzak’s departure, the decision to bring Keil Ganz back to Northern Michigan felt like a natural fit. Returning to a program he knows well, Ganz now takes over as head coach with the responsibility of leading the Wildcats into a new era.
Although Northern Michigan will have key pieces to replace, Ganz’s familiarity with the program and coaching experience make him well-positioned to build on the foundation already in place. That foundation is a strong one, as the Wildcats are coming off an outstanding 2025-26 campaign in which they finished 28-7 overall, posted a 16-4 record in GLIAC play, and went 14-2 on their home court. The season was highlighted by an 86-85 victory over Rockhurst in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Tournament before their postseason run came to an end in the second round.
Now entering his first season at the helm, Ganz will look to carry that momentum into 2026-27 and keep Northern Michigan among the GLIAC’s top contenders. Earlier this week, Northern Michigan Athletics released the schedules for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. Today, we’ll take a closer look at the men’s schedule before previewing the women’s slate tomorrow.
The Wildcats will begin the season with a pair of exhibition contests. Northern Michigan opens on Oct. 17 with a trip to DeKalb, Illinois, to face former head coach Matt Majkrzak and the Northern Illinois Huskies. One week later, on Oct. 24, the Wildcats travel to Stevens Point, Wisconsin, to take on the Wisconsin-Stevens Point Pointers.
The regular season officially tips off at the Midwest Tip-Off Challenge in Wisconsin Dells. Northern Michigan will face Central Oklahoma on Oct. 30, Harding on Oct. 31, and Lincoln Memorial on Nov. 1.
After a short break, the Wildcats return to action Nov. 13 against Missouri-St. Louis before taking on Winona State on Nov. 14. They then head back to Wisconsin Dells for another challenging weekend, facing St. Cloud State on Nov. 20 and Minnesota State Mankato on Nov. 21.
Northern Michigan wraps up its non-conference schedule with a road trip to Minnesota Duluth on Nov. 28 before shifting its full attention to GLIAC play.
Conference action begins with a pair of road games at Roosevelt on Dec. 3 and Parkside on Dec. 5. The Wildcats remain on the road later in the month with non-conference matchups at Quincy on Dec. 16 and Southwest Baptist on Dec. 17 before closing out the calendar year with GLIAC road games at Davenport on Dec. 31 and Ferris State on Jan. 2.
After opening the conference season with six consecutive road games, Northern Michigan finally returns to Vandament Arena on Jan. 7 for one of the most anticipated matchups of the season against rival Michigan Tech. The Wildcats remain home to host Wayne State on Jan. 9, Lake Superior State on Jan. 14, and Saginaw Valley State on Jan. 16.
The road schedule resumes Jan. 21 at Purdue Northwest and Jan. 23 at Grand Valley State before Northern Michigan returns home to host Ferris State on Jan. 28 and Davenport on Jan. 30.
February begins with another road swing at Saginaw Valley State on Feb. 4 and Lake Superior State on Feb. 6. The Wildcats then welcome Grand Valley State on Feb. 11 and Purdue Northwest on Feb. 13 before making the trip to Houghton for the second installment of the rivalry against Michigan Tech on Feb. 18. They conclude their final road trip at Wayne State on Feb. 22.
Northern Michigan closes out the regular season at home, hosting Parkside on Feb. 25 and Roosevelt on Feb. 27. Those two contests could have significant implications in the race for GLIAC Tournament seeding.
The 2027 GLIAC Tournament begins with quarterfinal action on March 3, with games hosted by the top four seeds. The semifinals will be played on March 6 at the highest remaining seed, followed by the GLIAC Championship Game on March 7 at the same site. From there, the Wildcats will look to earn a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament and make another postseason run.
