BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Four teams that played in the NCAA Tournament last March will be visiting Rabobank Arena this season as highlights of the 2008?09 CSUB Men's Basketball schedule, the University released Monday.

“For the second consecutive season, we've put together a schedule that will be challenging for our team and exciting for the fans of Bakersfield,” said fourth? year Head Coach Keith Brown. “Having four NCAA Tournament qualifiers visit certainly is a highlight, but there is a lot for 'Runner fans to look forward to this coming season.”

The University of San Diego, a Roadrunner victim last season and a first round winner over UConn in the NCAA Tournament, will be the first NCAA Division I Tourney participant ever to visit Bakersfield when it meets CSUB Dec. 1.

Western Athletic Conference champion Boise State visits Dec. 20 while top 25 team Saint Mary's College rings in the new year with a visit on Jan. 2. Big West champion Cal State Fullerton will close the regular season at Rabobank Arena with a Mar. 3 appearance.

CSUB will face seven of the nine Big West Conference members next season, including home games with Cal State Northridge, Cal Poly, UC Riverside and Fullerton.

Games at Pac?10 members Stanford and Oregon State highlight an attractive road schedule that begins with a season?opening trip to Wyoming and Air Force Nov. 14?16. The 'Runners will play at Oregon State Jan. 26 in front of a trip to SMU (Feb. 7) and Stanford (Feb. 10).

“It's no secret that we aspire to membership in the Big West Conference, so playing virtually every team in the conference (except UC Santa Barbara and Long Beach State) will be a good test of where we are against where we want to be,” said Brown.

CSUB will face a mix of teams from every NCAA Division I conference in the West this season: Big Sky, Big West, Mountain West, Pac?10, Western Athletic, and West Coast in addition to Seattle University, the west region's other Division I independent member.

Click Here For The Complete 2008-09 Men's Basketball Schedule