BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University men's basketball team is set to make its 2026-27 debut and will open the season picked to finish 7th in the GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll.

 

The Vikings gathered 47 poll points in a vote of the conference's 10 head coaches, placing just outside the top six, which predicts the postseason qualifiers for the GNAC Basketball Championships.

 

WWU is coming off a 13-16 overall record in 2025-26 and placed 8th in the GNAC standings with a 7-11 conference record. The Vikings feature a talent-laden roster for the upcoming season, led by returning junior guard Grant Kepley, junior forward Trevor White and redshirt freshman guard Jaxon Dubiel.

 

Head coach Tony Dominguez has been in charge since the 2012-13 season, accumulating an overall record of 246-141 (.636) including a GNAC record of 147-96 (.605) in his 13 seasons in Bellingham. WWU's five GNAC regular-season titles are the most of any program, with its most recent crown coming in 2016-17. WWU has also won two conference tournament trophies, in 2017 and 2020.

 

WWU opens the 2026-27 season October 30-November 1 with three games at the CWU D2 Tip-Off Classic in Ellensburg, facing Cal State San Bernardino, Lubbock Christian and Chico State. The Vikings official home opener is set for Monday, November 9 with a 7 pm game against Douglas College on WECU Court in Carver Gym.

 

The first round of GNAC contests runs December 3-5 with the remaining 16 games following after the new year. The top-six teams in the regular-season standings will earn spots in the 2027 GNAC Basketball Championships, which run March 4-6 at Johnson Sports Center on the campus of Northwest Nazarene. The winner of the conference tournament will earn the GNAC's automatic berth into the NCAA West Region Championships, which follow March. 12-15 at the site of the top seed in the region.

 

The complete 2026-27 season schedule can be viewed at WWUVikings.com and season/single-game tickets can be ordered online at WWUVikings.com/Tickets.