Another marquee matchup joins Florida State basketball's schedule

Florida State‘s 2026-27 non-conference schedule continues to take shape. College basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported that the Seminoles will face Houston on Dec. 20 in Jacksonville, marking the second meeting of a two-year neutral-site series between the programs.

The Cougars defeated Florida State 82-67 in the first matchup last December at Houston’s Toyota Center. The return game gives second-year head coach Luke Loucks another marquee non-conference opportunity as he continues assembling one of the nation’s more challenging schedules. Houston, led by Kelvin Sampson, has become one of college basketball’s premier programs in recent years, consistently competing for Big 12 championships and making deep NCAA Tournament runs.

The matchup also adds another high-profile opponent to Florida State’s growing nonconference slate. The Seminoles are already scheduled to face in-state rival Florida, SEC foes Texas A&M and Georgia, and UMass in the Orange Bowl Classic, creating a schedule filled with NCAA Tournament-caliber competition.

While game time and television information have not yet been announced, the Dec. 20 contest will conclude the home-and-home style neutral-site agreement between Florida State and Houston. Jacksonville has become a familiar destination for the Seminoles in recent years, hosting several marquee sporting events involving the program.

With Loucks entering his second season at the helm, the Houston matchup represents another measuring-stick game against one of the nation’s elite programs. It also gives Florida State another opportunity to strengthen its résumé before ACC play begins in earnest later in the season.

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This article originally appeared on FSU Wire: Another marquee matchup joins Florida State basketball’s schedule