Wichita State to renew Missouri Valley rivalry with Northern Iowa in 2-year series

The Wichita State men’s basketball team is renewing another rivalry from its Missouri Valley Conference days.

After bringing back Missouri State to Koch Arena last season, the Shockers will play host to Northern Iowa next season as part of a home-and-home series, according to college basketball analyst Rocco Miller. Sources confirmed the series to The Eagle.

The first meeting will take place in Wichita, where WSU and UNI will play at Koch Arena on Thursday, Nov. 14. The second meeting is slated for Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025 in Cedar Falls.

It will be the first time the former MVC rivals have played in men’s basketball since WSU departed the conference to join the American Athletic Conference in 2017.

While much has changed for WSU since those days, a familiar face remains at UNI: Ben Jacobson, the head coach who has been roaming the sidelines for the Panthers since the 2006-07 season. Jacobson won 11 of 23 games against the Shockers during their time together in the MVC.

UNI returns three starters from a 19-14 team that finished No. 109 in the final NET rankings, but the Panthers did lose their two leading scorers in the transfer portal in Nate Heise (Iowa State) and Bowen Born (Colorado State). On top of a strong, incoming transfer class, UNI features returning standouts in 6-foot-6 forward Tytan Anderson (11.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists), 6-10 center Jacob Hutson (9.5 points, 3.7 rebounds) and 6-3 guard Trey Campbell (9.0 points, 3.6 rebounds).

The home date against UNI is one of the final pieces to putting together WSU’s complete 2024 nonconference schedule. Only two or three games are expected to be added before WSU finalizes the schedule.

2024 Wichita State men’s basketball nonconference schedule

Monday, Nov. 4: at Western Kentucky

Saturday, Nov. 9: vs. Montana State

Thursday, Nov. 14: vs. Northern Iowa

Monday, Nov. 18: vs. Monmouth

Friday, Nov. 22: vs. Saint Louis (at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.)

Thursday, Nov. 28: vs. TBD in ESPN Events Invitational (at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.)

Friday, Nov. 29: vs. TBD in ESPN Events Invitational (at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.)

Saturday, Dec. 14: at DePaul

Tuesday, Dec. 17: vs. Kansas City

Saturday, Dec. 21: vs. Kansas State