Gophers officially unveil much stronger nonconference schedule for 2026-27

The Gophers men’s basketball team has put together a stronger nonconference schedule in year two of the Niko Medved era, presenting some opportunities for resume-building victories before Big Ten play begins. The full slate was officially unveiled on Friday.

Preseason/exhibitions

• Oct. 15: vs. Omaha
• Oct. 23: @ Creighton

Nonconference schedule

(Barttovik ranks of each opponent in parentheses)

Teams are allowed to schedule an extra nonconference game this season for a 32-game regular-season schedule. The Gophers have taken full advantage, and they will have arguably their best nonconference schedule since the 2019-20 season.

Nov. 2: vs. North Dakota(318)

Minnesota will open its regular season against the Fighting Hawks from Grand Forks. North Dakota has been ravaged by the transfer portal over the last few seasons. Paul Sather is one of the most underrated head coaches at the mid-major level, so you can never overlook his teams.

Nov. 6: vs. St. Thomas(152)

The Gophers will finally play the only other Division I program in the state for the first time since St. Thomas made the jump from Division III before the 2021-22 season. Sharpshooting big man Carter Bjerke will lead a new-look Tommies team that was also ravaged by injuries. This should be a fun one at the Barn.

Nov. 9: @ Cincinnati(39)

Minnesota’s toughest nonconference matchup by most metrics will be a road trip to Cincinnati. First-year head coach Jerrod Calhoun will have a chance to get to the NCAA Tournament, and there’s a good chance that Minnesota will have the opportunity to earn a marquee Quad 1 win against the Bearcats.

Nov. 12 vs. Southern U.(344)

Southern is a quality program in the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC), but there’s a ginormous gap in resources compared to the Big Ten. Minnesota will be heavily favored to take care of the Jaguars in a guaranteed Quad 4 game.

Nov. 16 vs. Western Illinois(331)

Western Illinois moved from the Summit League to the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) before the 2023-24 season. The Leathernecks immediately had a 21-win season, but they’ve combined for just 17 wins over the last two years. Minnesota will be heavily favored to win another guaranteed Quad 4 game.

Nov. 20, 22: Charleston Classic vs. Oklahoma State (55), Utah(75)

The Charleston Classic has historically waited until August to officially announce the bracket for its tournament, but Oklahoma State and Utah are essentially confirmed as the Gophers’ two matchups in South Carolina.

The Cowboys probably have their best team under third-year head coach Steve Lutz. The Utes had to replace a lot in the offseason with Minnesota native Terrence Brown transferring to North Carolina. These will be a couple big tests for the Gophers against Big 12 teams.

Nov. 28 (in Sioux Falls, SD): vs. California (86)

The Gophers will return to the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for the second straight nonconference slate. They faced San Francisco last season. This time, they’ve upgraded to an opponent from the ACC.

The 2026-27 season will be Mark Madsen’s fourth as the head coach of the Golden Bears. They had an NCAA Tournament-caliber roster last season, but they were also ravaged by the transfer portal. The Gophers should be favored to win this matchup.

Dec. 12 (in Frisco, TX): vs. SMU (49)

SMU head coach Andy Enfield finally broke through and got the Mustangs to the NCAA Tournament last season, but it resulted in a First Four loss to Miami (OH). SMU should have another NCAA Tournament-caliber roster in 2026-27, and this will be another resume-building opportunity for the Gophers.

Dec. 16 vs. Texas Southern(342)

Texas Southern is another quality SWAC team that could win the conference, but they simply don’t have the bodies to compete with a Big Ten team on the road. Shyrone Chatman will be the program’s new head coach after longtime head coach Jeff Jones left to be an assistant on Will Wade’s staff at LSU.

Dec. 20 vs. Alcorn State(355)

The Gophers beat Alcorn State by 45 points last season. They could easily do that again in 2026-27. It will be another guaranteed Quad 4 game in late December at The Barn.

Dec. 29 vs. UTSA(205)

UTSA has made the NCAA Tournament four times in the history of its program, though none have come since leaving the Southland Conference in 2011-12. The Roadrunners play in the American Conference, but they have the resources and history of a low-major program.

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This story was originally published by Bring Me The Sports on Aug 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the MN Gophers section. Add Bring Me The Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.