University of Denver
Wisconsin
10/31/2026 1:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Pioneers being their first season in the West Coast Conference under second-year head coach Tim Bergstraser
DENVER – The University of Denver men's basketball program will begin its West Coast Conference era on Monday night when the Pioneers open the 2026-27 season at [RV] Wisconsin. The season opener is scheduled to tip at 5:30 p.m. MT, and will be broadcast on B1G+.
SERIES HISTORY:
The two programs will meet for the first time in Denver's Division I modern era (1998-present). Wisconsin has won each of the first two all-time previous meetings between the programs, both in Madison, in 1953 and 1988.
DENVER IN SEASON OPENERS:
- Denver is 11-17 in season openers since the program turned DI in the 1998-99 season.
- The Pioneers are 0-11 in Division I season openers that are true away games.
- Last Season: at Seattle 84, Denver 73
- Last Win (11/7/22): at Denver 68, Idaho 63
- Last Season-Opening Win on the Road (11/22/87) Denver 83, at New Mexico Highlands 76 (DU was in the NAIA)
PIOS ON THE ROAD
- Denver had six road wins last year, its most since 2016-17.
- Denver won three-straight Summit League road games last season for the first time since joining the Summit League in 2013-14.
- The stretch marked the first three-game road winning streak overall since November 18-December 1, 2022 (Idaho St., New Orleans, HCU).
DENVER'S DI STATE HISTORY
- In Denver's DI history, the Pioneers have had student-athletes from 31 different states.
- The 2026-27 roster added one new state to Denver's list in Maryland (Kam Martin).
- 42 DI student-athletes have stayed in their home state of Colorado.
WORLD WIDE PIOS
- Denver's 2025-26 roster has student-athletes from nine different states and three international countries (Australia, Senegal, Sweden).
- The Pios have multiple players from Minnesota (Wysocki, Kirsch), and Australia (Bates, Dimmock).
DENVER'S DI INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR
- In the program's Division I history, the Pioneers have had players from 15 different countries outside of the United States, including multiple players from Australia (5), Canada (2), Croatia (2) and Spain (2).
- On the current roster, Baba Mbengue is the first Pioneer from the Senegal and Oskar Wickstrom Stumer is the first from Sweden.
UNIVERSITY OF DENVER SET FOR FIRST SEASON IN THE WCC
- On October 31, 2025 the University of Denver announced it has accepted an invitation to join the West Coast Conference in nine sports, beginning in the 2026-27 season.
- "My immediate response was excited. I understand how big it is for the university and overall for athletics. I understand that it's a power conference for sure, and I think it's just the absolute perfect fit for our program and university." Head Coach Tim Bergstraser
- Denver has joined the West Coast Conference in men's and women's basketball, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis and women's volleyball. Men's and women's swimming and diving will join in 2027-28.
- The move provides Denver with a significant enhancement to the overall reputation of the university and brand association, allying DU with highly regarded, mostly private institutions with stronger academic ranking and profiles that will further strengthen the university's position in the western United States.
DENVER'S RETURNING DUO
- Second year head coach Tim Bergsetraser welcomes back two returners from last years roster, and his final roster from his days at Minnesota State Moorhead in 2024-25 in Carson Johnson and Shaun Wysocki.
- In addition to Johnson's Summit League Player of the Year Campaign and his NSIC Tournament MVP performance in his freshman season at the DII level, Wysocki has also been a key contributer to Bergstraser's success in the last two years.
- In his freshman season Wysocki averaged 7.6 points and 3.9 rebounds at MSUM, and nearly matched that output in his rise to the DI level last year, chipping in 7.5 points and 3.3 rebounds for the Pioneers in 30 games last season.
- Wysocki was the first of three Pioneers to score 30+ in a game last season, making Denver one of 22 teams with three different student-athletes to earn that distinction in the regular season a year ago.
DENVER VS. THE POWER 4/5
- Denver is 1-34 in its Division I history against programs from the Power 4.
- The Pioneers lone victory since the 1999-00 season was at home against Oregon State on December 13, 2000.
- Denver's last single-digit loss against a Power-5 team came last year in the Pioneers trip to Oregon State (12/21/22).
- The Pioneers are 1-10 against Power-5s in single-digit outcomes.
TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets for the 2026-27 campaign are on sale now, and can be purchased here.
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