Mountaineers Open Historic Seventh Season Under Kerns at Central Michigan

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Appalachian State men’s basketball embarks on its 106th season and the seventh campaign of the Dustin Kerns era Monday evening, traveling to Mount Pleasant, Michigan, to face Central Michigan in the MAC-SBC Challenge. Tip-off from McGuirk Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m., with ESPN+ providing streaming coverage.

Road Opener Returns

Monday’s contest marks App State’s first season-opening road game since facing Iona in 2021-22. The Mountaineers compiled a 5-8 away record last season, with their last road opener victory coming against Louisville in 2022-23.

This matchup is the third year of the MAC-SBC Challenge, which debuted before the 2023-24 season, providing early-season competition between the two conferences.

Building on Recent Success

The Mountaineers enter 2025-26 following a 17-14 overall record and 10-8 Sun Belt Conference mark last season. More impressively, App State has accumulated 114 victories since 2019, representing the winningest six-year stretch in program history.

The consistency under Kerns has been remarkable. The Mountaineers have posted six consecutive seasons with a .500 winning percentage or better, the first time in App State’s Division I history (1972-present) that the program has achieved such sustained success. Should they post another winning campaign in 2025-26, it would mark seven straight winning seasons, something not accomplished since the 1945-52 stretch when App State competed as an NAIA institution.

Historic Era Under Kerns

The seventh season under Kerns continues a transformative period for Appalachian State basketball. The program’s sustained excellence, including the unprecedented six-year winning streak at the Division I level, demonstrates the foundation Kerns has established in Boone.

The Mountaineers return to action looking to extend their historic run of consistency while competing for another Sun Belt Conference championship. With returning talent and new additions, including Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team selection Eren Banks, App State enters the season with legitimate championship aspirations.

Monday’s season opener against Central Michigan provides the first test of whether the Mountaineers can continue their remarkable streak of winning seasons while building toward another competitive Sun Belt campaign. The road challenge offers an immediate opportunity to establish momentum heading into what promises to be another exciting season of App State basketball.