SAINT LEO, Fla. – The Saint Leo men's basketball team will tip-off its 2026-27 season with an exhibition game versus South Florida, a NCAA Division I program in the American Athletic Conference. The game is scheduled for Monday, October 19 at 7 p.m. in the Yuengling Center, on the campus of the University of South Florida.

This will mark the second-straight year that the Lions will open against the Bulls in exhibition play.

Head coach Spencer Henke stated, "I'm excited to kick off the 2026-27 season with a high-level exhibition game once again. We have been fortunate to play several Division I exhibitions going into my third year in charge, and I think, on paper, Coach Mack and this USF team may be one of the best teams we have matched up with so far. Their experienced guard play, paired with their elite front-court length, will give us an early barometer for where we stand. On a personal note, it is going to be a fun coaching matchup for me as Coach Mack was the head coach at Xavier when I started as a student manager at Marquette."

Henke continued, "I have been pleased with the daily improvement this group has made since we started workouts/practices, especially with our seven returners holding our eight newcomers to what it means to be LIONS each day. Our athleticism and depth is the best it has been in my tenure and I'm excited to see how these guys continue to come together in what I expect to be a very difficult game"

Admission for this contest is free.

The Lions will open the 2026-27 regular season at home on Friday, November 13 when they host Fort Valley State in a non-conference contest at 7 p.m.