KANSAS CITY, Mo. – One day after being tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the conference, the University of Pikeville men's basketball team found out how the nation feels about it.
 
The Bears will begin the season ranked 12^th in the country in the NAIA.
 
The ranking is the highest UPike has been in the national polls since the Dec. 11, 2019 ratings, when it was No. 4.
 
Only one other AAC team appeared in the ratings, as Johnson (Tenn.) University is among the 14 schools receiving votes but not appearing in the Top 25.
 
The Bears now know how tough their non-conference schedule will be for the season.
 
The season begins on Tuesday, Nov. 4 with a visit to Beckley, W.Va., to play WVU Tech. The teams split last season when they met two times.
 
The first mention of another ranked team comes on Sunday, Nov. 30 when the Bears will face No. 22 Life University in their second game in The Show, held annually on Thanksgiving weekend in Kingsport, Tenn.
 
They will have back-to-back games against teams in the poll just before Christmas. It begins on Tuesday, Dec. 16 when they host No. 20 University of the Cumberlands in a game at the Appalachian Wireless Arena.
 
It will be the first meeting between the historic rivals since Jan. 14, 2023, the last season UPike was a member of the Mid-South Conference.
 
The following Saturday, the Bears will return to the Williamson Fieldhouse for the second straight season. This time, they will play the University of Rio Grande (Ohio). The Red Storm is receiving votes in the preseason poll.
 
Additionally, the Bears will play seven games against teams not appearing in the poll but who were national tournament teams last year.
 
UPike and Johnson will meet two times this season. The Bears go to Knoxville on Nov. 19 and host the Royals on January 7 at the arena. Johnson was a 13 seed last season, as was Milligan (Tenn.) University. The Bears play the Buffs on Dec. 10 at the UPike Gym and Jan. 21 on the road.
 
On Saturday, Jan. 10, UPike is scheduled to host Carolina (N.C.) University at the arena. Carolina was a national tournament team last season, playing in the same quadrant as the Bears in Winona Lake, Ind.
 
They will battle two teams the first weekend of the season who were in last year's field when they travel to Huntington, Ind., for a classic. Huntington, who UPike plays on Nov. 7, as a three-seed last year, while Florida Memorial, the Nov. 8 foe, was seeded ninth.