HACKENSACK, N.J. – Fairleigh Dickinson men's basketball head coach Greg Herenda unveiled his team's 2021-22 non-conference schedule on Wednesday afternoon.

In the lead-up to Northeast Conference action, this year's non-conference slate is headlined by trips to Seton Hall, Northwestern, St. John's and Virginia.

"Our non-conference schedule continues to be extremely competitive and as exciting as ever," said Herenda. "Playing another former national champion, two local BIG EAST powerhouses and returning to Chicago to play a Big Ten school makes our schedule really special this year."

FDU's non-conference schedule this season consists of 11 matchups, including two regular season games at home in addition to an exhibition against Rutgers-Newark on November 4 at Stratis Arena inside the Rothman Center in Hackensack.

In the first regular season game following the preseason tune-up against the Scarlet Raiders, FDU will head back to Prudential Center for the first time since the 2017-18 season to face the Seton Hall Pirates on November 10. FDU is 1-1 at The Rock with their last win against the Jersey-based BIG EAST member coming in Herenda's maiden season as the Knights' leader with the Burgundy and Blue edging out a 58-54 victory back on December 1, 2013. The contest on November 10 will be four years to the day since the two sides last met (11/10/2017).

On November 12, the Knights head south to Philadelphia to face the Drexel Dragons to finish off the home-and-home series that began this past season when the Dragons came to the banks of the Hackensack. FDU then travels to Illinois to face Northwestern for just the second time in program history on November 18. FDU first played the Big Ten-member Wildcats in Evanston back in 2012.

The Knights follow-up their mid-America road trip with away games at St. John's (Nov. 20), NJIT (Nov. 24), Princeton (Nov. 28) and Manhattan (Nov. 30), before heading back to Philly to face La Salle on December 7.

Returning home to Bergen County, FDU plays host to Fairfield in their first regular season home game of the season on December 15. The Knights closed out last season's non-conference play with a trip to Connecticut to face the Stags where the Burgundy and Blue came back victorious, defeating the home side 69-65.

Hitting the road one final time in non-conference play, Herenda's Knights head to Charlottesville to face the 2019 National Champion Virginia Cavaliers on December 18. FDU has only played the storied program once, with their inaugural meeting coming way back on December 1, 1988. Under Herenda's tutelage, the Knights have now played seven former national champions, including Virginia, joining Holy Cross, Cincinnati, Ohio State, Kentucky, Villanova and Arizona as FDU non-conference opponents.

Closing out non-conference action, FDU will welcome Saint Peter's to the Rothman on December 22.

"I love challenging our team and showing people that we are not afraid to compete at the very highest levels," remarked Herenda. "I know that our players and staff are excited and I know our family and fans will travel to be right there with us as always," he concluded.

More information regarding the Knights' NEC schedule will be released in the coming days. Fans should stay tuned to FDUKnights.com and the Knights' social media channels for information on spectator attendance which is expected to be announced in the following weeks.

Schedule subject to change.

Connect with FDU men's basketball on Twitter and Instagram, @FDUKnightsMBB.

About FDU Athletics

The Knights are home to 21 NCAA Division I teams. A member of the Northeast Conference, FDU has had tremendous success in the classroom, in athletic competition, and giving back to the Bergen County community. In 2019-20 year, FDU won NEC championships in men's soccer and women's indoor track & field and followed that up with championships in 2020-2021 in women's bowling, men's tennis, and women's golf. In 2020, FDU student-athletes were also recognized for their efforts in the community by winning the NEC Building Communities Award with over 3,000 community service hours. Other recent milestones include men's basketball winning the 2019 NEC championship and going on to win the first NCAA Tournament game in school history. In addition to recent championships, FDU also holds two NCAA National Championships in the sport of women's bowling (2006, 2010).