HAYWARD, Calif. -- Cal State East Bay head men's basketball coach Gus Argenal has announced his team's schedule of games for the upcoming 2015-16 season. 

Complete 2015-16 Schedule

The slate features three exhibitions against Division I opponents, starting with a season-opening road trip to visit the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) and Tennessee State on Nov. 6-7.

The Pioneers begin their home schedule by hosting the CCAA/GNAC Pioneer Challenge on Nov 13-14, a four-team tournament featuring Chico State, Humboldt State, and Montana State Billings.

Following a southern California road trip to take on two tough PacWest opponents in California Baptist and Point Loma, East Bay will compete in Chico State's Mac Martin Invitational, which concludes with a showdown against perennial West Region powerhouse Seattle Pacific. 

"I believe our non-conference schedule gives our student-athletes a chance to establish their identity as a team," said Argenal. "We are excited for the opportunity to travel to Birmingham and compete against the nation's best in UAB, which is coming off an NCAA tournament run. This trip will help prepare us for a schedule that includes four of the eight teams that qualified last year's West Regional, as well as Humboldt State and Point Loma, which both topped 20 victories. It's my philosophy that we have to push ourselves and build our identity together before CCAA play rolls around."

Starting Dec. 1 at Cal State San Bernardino, Argenal's squad will launch into their 20-game California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) schedule. With the addition of Cal State San Marcos, the league now features 13 teams, which necessitates several midweek contests throughout the season.

"The CCAA is experimenting with a different setup this season, and I am looking forward to the challenges and competition that come every night in this league," Argenal noted. "We're ready for whatever schedule they give us and look forward to building more rivalries in the conference."

After an extremely tough four-game road trip to Chico State, Cal State Stanislaus, Humboldt State, and defending league champion Cal Poly Pomona, the Pioneers return to Hayward to wrap up the regular season with three home contests. East Bay will celebrate "Senior Night" on Feb. 27, the final day of the season, prior to their game against rival Cal State Monterey Bay. 

"To be considered a strong program, we have to compete against the best in the region and the nation, and prove ourselves night in and night out," Argenal added. "This schedule is extremely tough and gives us the chance to grow and improve every day."