The Canisius men’s basketball team opens the 122nd season in program history on Monday night when the Golden Griffins travel to play at Dayton. Game time in UD Arena is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

FASTBREAK POINTS
• Canisius’ 2025-26 roster features 16 players, 12 newcomers and four returners, under second-year head coach Jim Christian.
• Six of the Griffs’ 12 newcomers are transfers come from Division I institutions.
• The Golden Griffins are looking to start the season with a victory for the first time opening night of the 2018-19 campaign when the Blue and Gold went on the road and defeated Bucknell.
• All time, Canisius is 79-40 on opening night (no records for the 1913-14 and 1918-19 seasons).
• The Nov. 3 start date is the earliest in program history.
• Monday’s game at Dayton will mark the first time the Griffs have started the season in the state of Ohio since 2008-09 when the Griffs tipped off the year at Akron.
• Monday also marks the first time the Griffs have started the season against an Atlantic-10 school, not named St. Bonaventure, since the 1988-89 campaign when the Blue and Gold started that season against Saint Joseph’s.
• Canisius and Dayton will be meeting for the 21st time in series history, a series which dates back to the 1952-53 season. Monday will be the first contest between the Griffs and Flyers since Feb. 15, 1986, a game Dayton won in overtime by the score of 69-68.