Conference action typically begins the first Thursday of January and it does so again in the upcoming season even as it falls on New Year’s Day.

The men’s team will host Portland State to open the Big Sky schedule while the women’s team — as schedules again exactly mirror each other — will be in Portland to play the Vikings to ring in the new year.

The good calendar news is that neither squad will play stretches of three games in five days (Thursday-Saturday-Monday) as has become common in recent Big Sky schedules. Both teams have two Monday games on the schedule but both follow a week in which the Wildcats have a Thursday off, then play Saturday and Monday.

One Monday game creates a week where WSU plays four games in eight days from Jan. 31 to Feb. 7. The second, though, ends the season and helps the Wildcats take a breather in the final week.

The regular season concludes for both teams Monday, March 2, also against Portland State.

With 10 members, the Big Sky plays an 18-game conference schedule for a full double-round robin.

MEN’S SCHEDULE

A few details are left to announce but Weber State’s men’s basketball schedule is complete.

As previously reported by the Standard-Examiner in June, the Wildcats will host a “multi-team event” (MTE) at the Dee Events Center on the weekend before Thanksgiving. WSU is expected to announce participants somewhat soon; the other teams are expected to be from the WAC and the SoCon (Southern Conference).

That will help WSU play seven non-conference home games and 16 overall. The Wildcats will play five home games against Division I opponents, only the second time in the last 20 years WSU will have lined up more than three home games against DI foes in one season.

The Wildcats will likely open with a non-Division I opponent on Nov. 3 and close the nonconference slate at home just before Christmas with another. In between, fans should be able to enjoy five games against mid-major opponents, plus a bonus sixth game between the two non-WSU teams during the MTE.

WSU will also play four of the other six in-state opponents this season.

HOME NONCONFERENCE: Kansas City, Oral Roberts, Utah Tech, two MTE opponents, two non-DI opponents

ROAD NONCONFERENCE: Kansas City, St. Thomas, UC Irvine, Utah, Utah State, Utah Valley

BIG SKY SCHEDULE

Jan. 1: Portland State

Jan. 3: Sacramento State

Jan. 8: at Northern Arizona

Jan. 10: at Northern Colorado

Jan. 15: Eastern Washington

Jan. 17: Idaho

Jan. 22: at Montana

Jan. 24: at Montana State

Jan. 31: Idaho State

Feb. 2: at Sacramento State

Feb. 5: Northern Colorado

Feb. 7: Northern Arizona

Feb. 12: at Idaho

Feb. 14: at Eastern Washington

Feb. 19: Montana State

Feb. 21: Montana

Feb. 28: at Idaho State

March 2: at Portland State

March 7-11: Big Sky tournament, Boise

WOMEN’S SCHEDULE

The Weber State women’s basketball schedule and opponents for Big Sky play matches the men’s schedule, but with home/road assignments mirrored.

Before that, though, below are known nonconference opponents for the Wildcats. WSU opens the season Nov. 4 at Colorado State.

HOME: UC Davis, North Dakota State, Utah Tech, Montana Western, Westminster

ROAD: Colorado State, South Dakota State, Utah