By JOHN BOHNENKAMP

Northern Iowa’s men’s basketball nonconference schedule features seven home games and two games in the NIT Season Tip-Off.

One of the Panthers’ home games will be against Western Illinois. UNI will play host to the Leathernecks (21-12, 260 NET) on November 19.

UNI opens the season on November 4 at home against the University of Dubuque, beginning a three-game home stretch that also includes a November 7 game against Milwaukee (20-15, 215 NET) and Big West regular-season champion Cal-Irvine (24-10, 82 NET).

The Panthers then play their lone road game of nonconference schedule, playing at former Missouri Valley Conference rival Wichita State (15-19, 153 NET) on November 14. It will be the first matchup between the two schools since the Shockers left the Valley for the American Athletic Conference in 2017.

UNI plays in the NIT Season Tip-Off in Kissimmee, Florida, facing North Texas (19-15, 81 NET) on November 28 before taking on either Utah State (28-7, 43 NET) or St. Bonaventure (20-13, 89 NET) the following day.

The Panthers then have another three-game home stretch, playing Northern Illinois (11-20, 300 NET) on December 7, Omaha (15-18, 272 NET) on December 13 and Montana (24-12, 154 NET).

UNI plays Washington State (25-10, 41 NET) in Las Vegas on December 21 to close the nonconference schedule.

The Panthers will play one Valley game during the early portion of the season, playing on December 4 against an opponent to be announced.

Photo: Ben Jacobson begins his 19th season as Northern Iowa’s head coach. (Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire)