Youngstown, Ohio – The defending Horizon League Champion Youngstown State University men's basketball program will play six home games at Beeghly Center and face teams from the Atlantic-10 Conference, Big Ten Conference, and the Sun Belt Conference as part of its 2023-24 non-conference schedule, Head Coach Jerrod Calhoun announced.

"This is one of the toughest non-conference schedules we put together in our time here at Youngstown State," Calhoun said. "We are excited to challenge ourselves and believe this will help prepare us for another tough Horizon League season.

"We're hoping to build off of last year's recording breaking crowds and provide an outstanding home-court advantage in the Beeghly Center."

The Penguins open the campaign down in the bayou when they visit Sun Belt Conference member Louisiana for the second time in program history on Nov. 6. Later that week, Youngstown State visits Big Ten foe Michigan on Nov. 10.

The Penguins 2023-24 home opener is set for Nov 13 against Western Illinois, and YSU hosts an MTE (multi-team event), Nov. 17-19, at Beeghly Center. The Penguins take on Utah Tech on Nov. 17 and Niagara on Nov. 19. Utah Tech and Niagara will square off on Nov. 18.

For the first time in 40 years, the Youngstown State will take on Dayton when the Penguins visit the Flyers on Nov. 24 in Dayton, Ohio.

The Penguins visit a pair of Mid-American Conference members when they visit Ohio on Dec. 6 and Western Michigan on Dec. 9.

Youngstown State closes out its non-league slate with three straight home contests against Bethany on Dec. 14, Westminster on Dec. 18, and Navy on Dec. 21.

The Penguins are coming off the best season in program history after winning the school's first regular-season conference championship and earning the first tournament No. 1 seed after posting a school-record 15-5 Horizon League record. By winning the regular-season title, the Penguins earned the conference's automatic bid to the National Invitation Tournament for the first time.

The Penguins tied a school record with 24 wins and finished the campaign with an overall record of 24-10.

The Horizon League portion of the schedule will be announced by the league at a later date.