NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Apprentice School Builders men's basketball team has released their 2026-27 season schedule, a slate that sends the program to the hardwood against a mix of NCAA DI, DII and DIII, NJCAA and USCAA opponents designed to sharpen the team for a repeat championship run at the New South Athletic Conference Tournament and a strong seeding for the USCAA National Tournament.
The Builders open the season on the road November 4 at Elizabeth City State University before diving into a stretch of true road tests, including the Penn State Beaver USCAAA Tip-off Tournament followed by match-ups at Hampton University, William Peace University, Averett University, area-rival Batten University, and North Carolina Wesleyan University. The team returns home to Newport News for the first time on December 2 to host Tidewater Community College.
December brings a heavy travel slate, with trips to Cheyney University, Norfolk State University, and an exhibition game against Old Dominion University sandwiched around a run of home games against Virginia Peninsula Community College, Denmark Technical College, and Berkeley College (NY) in the annual Great Ships Classic. The Builders close out the calendar year with road conference games at Denmark Technical College and South Carolina Central Christian College.
The new year opens with a two-game Pennsylvania trip to Manor College and Central Penn College before the Builders settle in for a stretch of home dates in January and February against Atlantis University, Bloomfield College, South Carolina Central Christian College, Barber-Scotia College, Salisbury University, Mid-Atlantic Christian University, Virginia University of Lynchburg, and Cheyney University, with a return road trip to Barber-Scotia College and Mid-Atlantic Christian University mixed in.
The regular season wraps up February 17, setting the stage for the New South Athletic Conference Tournament, February 25-28 in Umatilla, Florida, followed by the USCAA National Tournament, March 7-13 in Buffalo, New York.
Head coach Michael Gainey said the schedule was built with a clear purpose in mind.
"We didn't build this schedule looking for easy nights," the coach said. "We built it to challenge ourselves from the top down. If we want to become the program that we believe we can be, we have to be willing to compete against good teams and put ourselves in uncomfortable situations. This schedule will test our toughness, discipline, and togetherness, and that's exactly what we want. We're not running from competition. We're embracing it, because we know those challenges will prepare us for where we want to be when it matters most."
