Three Takeaways from BYU Basketball’s 2026-27 Non-Conference Schedule

Believe it or not, we are nearly 100 days away from BYU's first game of the season. With the non-conference schedule now released, let's review some key takeaways.

Takeaway #1: The Cougars will take on familiar foes in exhibition games

BYU will open exhibition play against Fred Hoiberg's Nebraska Cornhuskers on October 16th at the Marriott Center, a rematch of last October's exhibition game in Lincoln. That meeting came down to the wire.

The Cougars had a look at a go-ahead three with just seconds left, but the shot rimmed out, and BYU fell 89-90.

Hoiberg, who spent time coaching in the NBA before returning to college basketball, used that preseason tune-up as a springboard to the best season in Nebraska history. The Cornhuskers went 28-7, reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history, and Hoiberg was named AP National Coach of the Year.

The most significant storyline of last year's matchup was AJ Dybantsa's first time on the court in a BYU jersey. Now, five-star freshman phenom Bruce Branch will make his own debut against Nebraska, this time in Provo.

BYU will also face UNLV, its former Mountain West foe, in an exhibition later in October.

Takeaway #2: BYU will play at least four power-conference teams

The Cougars will face Ohio State and Northwestern out of the Big Ten, along with Utah State and San Diego State, a pair of programs joining the rebuilt Pac-12 this upcoming season.

BYU opens the regular season against Ohio State at the Delta Center on November 2, the programs' first meeting since 1997.

Guard Aleksej Kostić, who started BYU's final five games last season before transferring, will face his former team when Northwestern visits the Delta Center on December 5. It's also the first time in history BYU and Northwestern have met in non-conference play.

Utah State comes to the Marriott Center on December 9 for the Cougars' first meeting with their in-state rival since an 82-71 BYU win in 2021. The Aggies will be led by new coach Ben Jacobson, who spent the previous 20 years building Northern Iowa into a mid-major power.

San Diego State, a team BYU hasn't played since a 74-65 win in Provo in 2023, joins the schedule for a Palm Springs matchup. This will be the first meeting between the two programs in the Kevin Young era.

BYU will also play three games at the Maui Invitational during college basketball's Feast Week. The field includes Arizona, Clemson, Colorado State, Ole Miss, Providence, VCU and Washington.

A potential matchup with Big 12 foe Arizona in Maui would mean the two teams would face each other at least three times during the season.

Takeaway #3: Six neutral-site games mean plenty of Quad 1 and Quad 2 opportunities

BYU will play six games away from the Marriott Center on a neutral floor: Ohio State and Northwestern at the Delta Center, three games in Maui, and San Diego State in Palm Springs. Each should be a Quad 1 or Quad 2 opportunity since neutral-site wins over NET Top 50 and Top 100 opponents fall into those quadrants respectively.

On paper, this slate might not look as loaded as last year's. However, last season's wins over Villanova, Wisconsin, Miami and Clemson all aged well for the Cougars, even though none of those programs carried much preseason buzz.

Now, heading into Young's third season in Provo, BYU will hope to start the year strong before playing in the Big 12 gauntlet.

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