The Big Ten conference released its entire basketball schedule on Wednesday, which means we now officially know the Gophers’ full slate for the 2026-27 season. A much improved nonconference portion will lead into a Big Ten gauntlet, as Niko Medved looks to lead Minnesota back to the NCAA Tournament in his second season as the program’s head coach.
The B1G Schedule is HERE 〽️
📰: https://t.co/TcL1DR7bDF#TeamTogetherpic.twitter.com/n57LNeyyfI
— Minnesota Men’s Basketball (@GopherMBB) September 16, 2026
Full schedule
- Oct. 15: vs. Omaha (exhib.)
- Oct. 23: @ Creighton (exhib.)
Exhibitions have become more and more popular in college basketball, and the Gophers made big improvements this year with a road trip to Creighton on the schedule. A home game against Omaha will ease them into the season, but a road game against the Blue Jays and first year head coach Alan Huss will give us an early look at how prepared Minnesota is for this season.
- Nov. 2: vs. North Dakota
- Nov. 6: vs. St. Thomas
- Nov. 9: @ Cincinnati
- Nov. 12: vs. Southern U.
- Nov. 16: vs. Western Illinois
- Nov. 20, 22: Charleston Classic vs. Oklahoma State and Utah
- Nov. 28 (in Sioux Falls, SD): vs. California
After a pair of Summit League opponents highlighted by the first matchup against St. Thomas as Division I programs, the Gophers’ biggest nonconference game of the season will be Nov. 9 at Cincinnati. They will have a pair of buy games before entering a pivotal slate in late November.
- Dec. 2: @ Michigan State
- Dec. 8: vs. Illinois
The Gophers drew the short end of the stick with their early Big Ten matchups. Michigan State and Illinois are the top two favorites to win the conference this season. Minnesota will wind up having six straight games against power conference opponents before Christmas, which hasn’t been the case in a long time. We’ll learn a lot about this team early in the season.
Gophers men’s basketball faces SIX (6) power conference teams in a row from Nov. 20 to Dec. 12.
Ok State
Utah
Cal
Michigan State
Illinois
SMUGoing to find out a lot about this team before Christmas, which has not been the case over the last five years. This is how a school… pic.twitter.com/xy0j4HvIU5
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) September 17, 2026
- Dec. 12 (in Frisco, TX): vs. SMU
- Dec. 16: vs. Texas Southern
- Dec. 20: vs. Alcorn State
- Dec. 29: vs. UTSA
Minnesota’s final big-time nonconference game will be on Dec. 12 in Frisco, Texas against SMU. They will have three more buy games to begin winter break and finals season in the classroom before entering full-time Big Ten play.
- Jan. 3: @ Northwestern
- Jan. 6: vs. Penn State
- Jan. 9: @ Wisconsin
- Jan. 12: @ Michigan
- Jan. 17: vs. Purdue
- Jan. 20: vs. Indiana
- Jan. 23: @ Rutgers
- Jan. 26: vs. Washington
- Jan. 31: vs. Wisconsin
- Feb. 6: @ USC
- Feb. 9: @ UCLA
- Feb. 13: vs. Oregon
- Feb. 16: vs. Michigan
- Feb. 21: vs. Northwestern
- Feb. 24: @ Maryland
- Feb. 27: @ Iowa
- Mar. 4: vs. Ohio State
- Mar. 7: @ Nebraska
The Gophers’ home-and-home conference opponents this year are Wisconsin, Michigan and Northwestern. There’s never an easy Big Ten schedule in the modern-era of the sport, but Minnesota has some favorable stretches. Wisconsin and Michigan in consecutive road games looks intimidating, especially with home games against Purdue and Indiana right after.
Ultimately, there are tough stretches in every power conference schedule, especially in the Big Ten. The Gophers have a nonconference slate that will prepare them for Big Ten play, and a roster that can compete with just about anyone in the conference.
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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Sep 17, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Gophers section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.