The Hornets open the season on Friday, Nov. 19, at Michigan. It marks the first meeting between the two teams and the first time that Sacramento State has played an opponent other than Minnesota from the Big 10. The Hornets opened the season at Stanford (2003-04) and Loyola Marymount (2002-03) over the last two years.

Three days after the season opener (Monday, Nov. 22), the Hornets begin their home portion of the schedule against Southern Utah at 7:05 p.m. The team will head back to the road on Nov. 27 against Long Beach State before returning home on Wednesday, Dec. 1, to take on UC Davis. The game against the Aggies (who will move to Div. I status for the 2004-05 season) marks the first time the two teams have met since the 1997-98 season. The Hornets lead the all-time series, 60-39.

Sacramento State will then begin a stretch in which it plays seven of its next 10 games on the road, beginning with UC Irvine on Dec. 4. After a home contest against San Francisco on Dec. 7, Sacramento State travels to Fresno State (Dec. 11), Saint Mary’s (Dec. 17) and UC Riverside (Dec. 20) in succession. Two days later (Wednesday, Dec. 22), the Hornets host Great Falls before travelling to Oregon State (Dec. 28) for the second year in a row. Last season against the Beavers in Corvallis, Ore., the Hornets dropped a 76-73 heartbreaker despite holding a 41-31 halftime advantage. The game against Oregon State will mark the final non-conference road game of the season.

Sacramento State will then host Utah Valley State on Dec. 30, before opening Big Sky Conference play at Portland State (Jan. 6) and Eastern Washington (Jan. 8). Sacramento State takes on Idaho State in its Big Sky home opener on Jan. 13 before hosting Weber State on Jan. 15.

After travelling north to take on Montana State (Jan. 20) and Montana (Jan. 22), Sacramento State then begins a season-long four-game homestand. During the four-game stretch, the Hornets will take on William Jessup (Jan. 25), and Big Sky rivals Northern Arizona (Jan. 29), Eastern Washington (Feb. 3) and Portland State (Feb. 5).

The remainder of the schedule features Big Sky road games at Weber State (Feb. 10), Idaho State (Feb. 12), and Northern Arizona (Feb. 26), and home contests against Montana (Feb. 17) and Montana State (Feb. 19).

The Big Sky Tournament begins March 5 with two quarterfinal games. The Hornets, who hosted a Big Sky postseason game last year for the first time in school history, will attempt to reach the Big Sky Tournament for the third-consecutive year.

Sacramento State has improved its overall and conference records each of the last four seasons, including last year’s team which finished 13-15 overall and 7-7 in the Big Sky (tied for second in the conference standings).

For season ticket information, call the Athletics Ticket Office at (916) 278-2222.