WATERLOO, Ont. - Golden Hawks fans will have plenty of chances to see the men's basketball team in action ahead of their November 1 home opener. The recently announced pre-season schedule features eight games, all at home. 

The exhibition slate tips off with two intraspecies matchups, starting with the Humber Hawks on September 21. The Memorial Sea-Hawks will fly in from St. John's, Newfoundland on September 29. 

Memorial lost in the 2023 AUS quarterfinals to the Dalhousie Tigers, Laurier's October 5 opponent. Dalhousie in turn lost in the semifinals.

The weekend of October 13-15 sees the purple and gold test their strength against a trio of NCAA opponents. 

First up are the Ithaca Bombers on Friday, fresh off a 14-4 season in which they lost in the Division III Liberty League semifinals. Laurier has never faced the private college from New York state.

Saturday's matchup is against the Mercyhurst Lakers, whom Laurier have hosted twice before (in 2011 and 2015) and recorded a win and defeat. After an 18-4 regular season, the Lakers narrowly lost in the 2023 PSAC championship game 54-53. They also qualified for the Division II NCAA national tournament, losing in the second round. 

The Golden Hawks will then take on FDU Florham on Sunday. A satellite campus of Farleigh Dickinson University, who shocked the NCAA by defeating top-seeded Purdue in the first round of March Madness, the Florham campus Devils had less success last season. They finished 2-14 in the Division III MAC, missing the playoffs. This will be the team's first ever trip to Laurier's campus.

A pair of games against Calgary on October 20 and Acadia on October 22 will provide a final tune-up before the start of the OUA season. The Dinos were defeated in last season's Canada West quarter-finals by the Manitoba Bisons while the Axemen finised last in the eight-team AUS and out of the playoffs with a 4-16 record. 

This will be the first matchup between Laurier and Acadia since 2006 while Calgary made their lone visit to the Golden Hawks in 2019.

Basketball season tickets are on sale now.