Denver opens its 2026-27 men’s basketball season Monday at Wisconsin, beginning the Pioneers’ first year in the West Coast Conference. The game tips at 5:30 p.m. MT and will air on B1G+.

By the Numbers
  • Denver is 11-17 in Division I season openers.
  • The Pioneers are 0-11 in true road openers at the Division I level.
  • Wisconsin leads the all-time series 2-0; the teams last met in 1988.
  • Denver went 1-34 against Power 4/5 programs in its Division I history.
Yes, But

Denver’s road-opener record is daunting, but the team showed progress away from home last season, recording six road wins—its most since 2016-17—and a three-game Summit League road winning streak.

State of Play
  • Monday’s matchup is Denver’s first against Wisconsin in its modern Division I era, which began in 1998.
  • The Pioneers are entering their first season in the WCC, alongside eight other DU sports.
  • Second-year coach Tim Bergstraser brings back Carson Johnson and Shaun Wysocki, two players from last season’s roster.
What’s Next

Denver begins its new conference chapter with a major road test at Wisconsin. The opener will offer an early measure of how the Pioneers’ returning talent handles a ranked-opponent-caliber challenge.

Bottom Line

The WCC transition gives Denver a new conference platform, but Monday’s opener puts its road-opening struggles—and its progress on the road last season—to an immediate test.