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FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Gulf Coast men’s basketball is set to begin the 2025-26 season against New College of Florida at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 3.
The Eagles head into head coach Pat Chambers’ fourth campaign off a contract extension for Chambers that runs through 2029. Chambers’ 2025 recruiting class was among the best in FGCU history. His energy and experience have helped guide the Eagles to postseason success, while building a culture of toughness and accountability.
FGCU returns seven players from the 2024-25 roster, highlighted by redshirt senior forward Michael Duax and junior guard Rahmir Barno. Duax started 25 games last season and is the Eagles’ returning leader in most stat categories, while Barno is looking toward a healthy campaign after missing nine games in the spring due to injury.
Notable additions to the FGCU squad include graduate forward JR Konieczny, a transfer from Notre Dame, junior guard George Washington III, a transfer from Richmond and Isaiah Malone, a junior forward from LaGrange, Indiana.
It’s a rare home opener for the Eagles – just the fifth in program history. FGCU will open the 2025-26 season at home for the first time in the Pat Chambers era (last was in 2021-22). FGCU is 1-2 in season openers under Chambers, but in home openers, Chambers is 2-1.
The Eagles are 6-12 all-time in season openers but 14-4 all-time in home openers. FGCU is 4-0 when opening the season at Alico Arena, and only twice (2022 & 2007) have the Eagles won on the road before winning at home.
Additionally, FGCU’s November 3 opening date is the earliest regular season game in program history, surpassing the 2024-25 season opener (Nov. 4). It’s the seventh consecutive season (excluding the 2020-21 season) that the Eagles will begin the season on a single-digit day in November, is the eighth season opener prior to Nov. 10 in program history and will be the 12th game played prior to Nov. 10 in program history.
Fans visiting Alico Arena can look forward to enhancements to the viewing experience, including new integrated light-show effects, spotlights, and fog machines that will bring a new level of energy and spectacle to introductions and in-game presentations.
Fans will also notice signage and aesthetic updates throughout Alico Arena. Those upgrades include improvements in the lobby, suite areas, and the Hillmeyer-Tremont Suite, all reinforcing the modern, vibrant look of the arena. In addition, concession areas have been enhanced with improved service options and the introduction of local Riptide Brewery selections.
For more information on FGCU men’s basketball, follow @FGCU_MBB on Instagram, X (Twitter) and Facebook, and visit fgcuathletics.com.
