Emporia State athletics has released its men’s & women’s basketball schedules for the upcoming 2026-27 season. The Lady Hornets will play 14 games at home at White Auditorium while the Hornets will host 15 opponents. The ESU men play nine games against teams that made the NCAA Tournament last year while the Lady Hornets face six opponents who danced in March last year. The women open the year at the MIAA-GAC Challenge in Arkadelphia, Ark. on Thursday, November 12. The men are headed back up to St. Joseph, Mo. for their third-straight Hillyard Tip-off Classic hosted by Missouri Western beginning Friday, November 13. ESU then has four-straight home games for the men. The White Auditorium slate begins on November 17 with a split doubleheader as an afternoon matinee as the programs host Kids Day. The Lady Hornets host Angelo State at noon while the men face Kansas Christian immediately following. The new-look 22-game MIAA schedule begins on Thursday, December 3 at Missouri Southern.
The MIAA has changed the format to its MIAA Tournament as home-site games return for the first round. Seeds 7-10 will play at the higher-seeded host on Tuesday, March 2 with winners advancing into the quarterfinals beginning Thursday, March 4. Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. will serve as the host for the tournament for the 24th time in 2026.
