FGCU Basketball Opens Its Season Monday at UCF, With Home Openers at Alico Arena Next Weekend
Florida Gulf Coast University's basketball season tips off Monday night in Orlando, and by next weekend both the men's and women's teams will have opened at home — with a new student pre-game party waiting at Alico Arena.
Dunk City's season starts on the road. Florida Gulf Coast University's men's basketball team opens the 2026-27 season on Monday, November 2, at UCF in Orlando — a series that stands 1-1 all time — before coming home to Alico Arena for its home opener on Friday, November 6, against New College of Florida at 7 p.m. The women's team plays its home opener the next day, Saturday, November 7, against Arkansas State at 2 p.m.
FGCU Athletics has wrapped the home schedule in promotions: the university announced on October 28 the full slate for all 30 home men's and women's games — 15 for each team — with both home openers doubling as 'Hometown Home Openers' featuring post-game poster signings with players, and Homecoming weekend set for February 6, 2027, with an ASUN doubleheader. The men's home slate also includes FIU on November 13 and the Fort Myers Tip-Off at Suncoast Credit Union Arena, where the Eagles face Charlotte on November 23 and Georgia State on November 25.
New this season is a student pre-game: FGCU announced on October 30 the Dirty Bird Pre-Game, presented by Fly 98.5 — free food, interactive games and music in the Alico Arena Auxiliary Gym starting one hour before tipoff at select home games, including November 6, 7, 13 and 14. Students can also pick up their official 2026-27 Dirty Bird T-shirt at any FGCU home game this season, the university said.
