BERKELEY – A slate that includes seven 2016 postseason teams, including three NCAA Tournament squads, starts off California men's basketball's 2016-17 campaign, head coach Cuonzo Martin revealed Monday.
 
"We're excited to begin another season of Cal basketball. We have a slate of quality nonconference opponents who we feel will help prepare us for a rigorous Pac-12 schedule," Martin said. "We have a tremendous group of student-athletes, which includes experienced veterans and highly talented newcomers, who are looking forward to defending our Haas once again. We can't wait to get started."
 
The Golden Bears' competitive nonconference slate includes games against 2016 NCAA Tournament teams in Virginia, South Dakota State and Seton Hall. Also on the docket are two 2016 NIT opponents, San Diego State and Princeton, CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) runner-up UC Irvine and Vegas 16 participant Louisiana Tech. The Bears will be one of the first teams to play in the inaugural season of Sacramento's Golden 1 Arena in their neutral-site contest with the Aztecs.
 
Cal, who posted a perfect 18-0 record in Berkeley last year, will host nine home games ahead of its conference campaign. Cal's 19-game win streak at home dates back to March 2015.
 
In addition to joining Princeton and Seton Hall in the Aloha State as part of the FOX Sports Pearl Harbor Basketball Invitational announced earlier this summer, the Bears will wrap up a two-game series with Virginia at home in Berkeley on Dec. 21. The Cavaliers reached the NCAA Elite Eight last season after the Bears narrowly missed an upset in Charlottesville in a 63-62 overtime loss.
 
Cal tips off the regular season on Friday, Nov. 11 at home in Haas Pavilion against South Dakota State, which will be the first of seven NorCal area games to start the season. The Bears will also host UC Irvine, who fell in the CIT Final to Cal transfer Grant Mullins' Columbia squad last March.
 
After two games at home, Cal will play the first of its three neutral-site matchups of the nonconference schedule against San Diego State on Nov. 21 in the new Golden 1 Center, touted as one of the most sustainable and innovative arenas and home of the Sacramento Kings. The Bears will be among the first collegiate programs to take the floor at the new arena, which is expected to open in October. The game is part of a Golden 1 doubleheader that will also feature Sacramento State and UC Davis on Nov. 21.
 
"It's an honor to be one of the first programs to help usher in a new season of basketball in one of the most advanced arenas in the country," Martin said. "We're excited for the experience it will offer our student-athletes and our fans while showcasing some of the best players in all of college basketball."

A four-game homestand in Haas Pavilion awaits Cal to open Thanksgiving weekend, starting with Wyoming on Friday, Nov. 25 followed by Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday, Nov. 27. Women's basketball will also be home that weekend hosting its annual Cal Classic tournament, making it a hoops-filled Thanksgiving weekend for Cal fans.
 
The four-game slate wraps up with Louisiana Tech on Wednesday, Nov. 30 and Alcorn State on Saturday, Dec. 3 before the Bears head to Hawai'i for the FOX Sports Pearl Harbor Basketball Invitational. There, Cal will face Princeton on Tuesday, Dec. 6 and Seton Hall on Dec. 7 at Bloch Arena in Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The historic venue withstood the attack by Imperial Japan nearly 75 years ago and serves as a continuous legacy to those in uniform stationed in Hawaii.
 
A trio of games back in Berkeley mark the end of nonconference play for the Bears, with UC Davis (Dec. 10), Cal Poly (Dec. 17) and finally Virginia (Dec. 21) before opening Pac-12 play in late December.
 
Game times will be announced at a later date, once television agreements are finalized. Cal's conference weekend matchups were announced earlier this month, while the full Pac-12 schedule is expected to be announced in September.
 
Season ticket deposits for the upcoming 2016-17 campaign are now being accepted. The $100 amount will be applied to the final cost of each ticket. Seat selection will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis, so an earlier deposit means an earlier slot to choose seats.
 
For questions or more information on 2016-17 tickets, contact the Gold Standard service team at (800) GO BEARS (462-3277), press option 3.