Racers vs Omaha Monday - at Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon

The Murray State Racers open their 101st season of collegiate basketball Monday (Nov. 3) when they meet the Omaha Mavericks at the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The game is the third of six games at two sites (Sioux Falls, S.D. & Rock Hill S.C.).

The Murray State men's basketball team, led by first-year coach Ryan Miller, has a 2025–2026 season roster that features several key transfers.

The Racers are entering their fourth season in the Missouri Valley Conference and have secured two exhibition victories over Xavier and Northern State.

GAME 1
MURRAY STATE VS OMAHA
Venue: Sanford Pentagon (3,250)
Site: Sioux Falls, S.D.
Game Day-Time: Monday, Nov. 3 - 12:30 P.M. CT

Live Media Feeds
Racer Radio: Froggy 103.7FM, Froggy103.com (Jeff Bidwell & Kenny Roth)
Television: Field of 68 YouTube Channel
Stats: GoRacers.com & StatBroadcast.com
X: @TheFieldOf68

Omaha Mavericks 0-0 (0-0 SL)
Head Coach: Chris Crutchfield
Alma Mater: Omaha (1992)
at UNO: 46-54 (4th season)
Career: 56-63 (5th season)
Summit: 24-26
Record vs MSU: 0-0

Murray State Racers 0-0 (0-0 MVC)
Head Coach: Ryan Miller
Alma Mater: Northern State (2000)
at MUR: 0-0 (1st Season)
Career: Same
Missouri Valley: 0-0
Record vs UNO: 0-0

GAME DAY STORY LINES

MSU is coming off a 75-70 exhibition win last Saturday at Xavier in Cincinnati.
MSU has five in double-figure scoring led by 15 each from
The Racers' 2025-26 season is the 101st in program history, the 28th in the CFSB Center and the fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Among teams that have played in NCAA DI for 24 seasons, MSU is ranked No. 14 in winning percentage at .643 and No. 44 in victories with 1,52.
MSU has made 18 NCAA Tournament appearances and has won five games, the last in 2022 against San Francisco.
The Racers were picked No. 4 in the Field of 68 MVC Preseason MVC Poll.
Fred King, Mason Miller, Brayden Shorter, Layne Taylor, KJ Tenner and JJ Traynor are part of the MVC Preseason Watch List.The Racers have a roster of 15 with not one returner from the 2024-25 season.
MSU is part of only nine teams in NCAA D-I that have no returners.
The other teams are Arkansas State, Baylor, Cleveland State, Memphis, Miami, New Mexico, North Texas and Sacramento State.
MSU coach Ryan Miller is part of 30 1st-year head coaches in NCAA D-I.
The game vs Omaha marks their second meeting with MSU after the first that occurred in 2014 in Murray in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament that the Racers won 86-62.
In the modern era that began with the Racers helping form the Ohio Valley Conference, MSU is 62-15 in season openers.
MSU is 25-13 in season openers vs NCAA D-I opponents.
MSU's recent season openers vs D-I teams include: 2022 at Saint Louis (Lost 91-68), 2019 H vs Southern (Won 69-49), 2016 H vs Illinois State (Won 73-70) and 2014 H vs Houston (Lost 77-74).
The last time MSU played at a neutral site for the season opener, it was 2006 and the first game (Nov. 10), 2006 for head coach Billy Kennedy against San Diego in the Saint Mary's (CA) Tournament.

Racers vs Omaha Monday - at Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon

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Players Mentioned

Fred King

Mason Miller

Brayden Shorter

Layne Taylor

KJ Tenner

JJ Traynor

Murray State University Athletics