Bearcats Basketball Schedules Home-And-Home With Big Ten Team

Another nice addition to the non-conference slate.

Dec 29, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; A detail view of the shoes of Cincinnati Bearcats forward Baba Miller (18) during the first half against the Lipscomb Bisons at Fifth Third Arena. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cincinnati Bearcats basketball is adding even more strong opposing firepower to its 2026 and 2027 non-conference schedules. Bearcat Journal's Keegan Knickoson reported on Thursday that Cincinnati is facing Minnesota in a home-and-home setup over the next two seasons.

Details on the dates and locations of the games are to be announced at a later date, but Calhoun has nailed down another marquee matchup from a team in one of the best conferences in America.

Minnesota is coming off a 15-18 season under head coach Niko Medved's first go-around leading the team. It should be a nice test from a Minnesota roster that Bart Torvik has rated 789th nationally entering the 2027 season.

Calhoun has done great work scheduling big-time opponents like Minnesota and Dayton, keeping the Louisville game, and putting UC in the ESPN Events Invitational this fall. Cincinnati will likely play at least 5-6 top-100 teams on most deeper metric sites before the Big 12 run starts.

On top of that, Cincinnati is helping host the Carseource Invitational at the Linder Family Tennis Center on October 7. It's a unique outdoor event on Center Court at the venue.

“The CareSource Invitational is exactly the type of unique event we envisioned when we reimagined the Lindner Family Tennis Center beyond the Cincinnati Open,” said Bob Moran, President of Beemok Sports & Entertainment, in a press release. “Center Court has long been the stage for unforgettable moments, and we're excited to create an atmosphere and energy that will be unlike anything college basketball fans have experienced before.”

Calhoun wants to make a loud pop in the State of Ohio.

"What we're really trying to sell is ourselves (the staff) right now. We won 101 games in four years, right?" Calhoun said in the interview earlier this offseason. "I'd like to have more, but you know, there are a lot of losses in there too that sting. But that part of it, we can talk about 25 wins (per year) in four years, an elite offensive team over those years, we play a very upbeat new school system that players love to play in the best league in America.

"So, I'm not really concerned about our seven-year run of not playing in the NCAA Tournament, because I think the kids that we've been able to get on this year's roster understand what we're here to do. We're on a mission. We're not here to mess around. We're here to get back in the NCAA Tournament this year. And then you're off and running, but you know we're going to recruit at a high level. We're going to be able to attract some of the best talent in the country. I think we've already shown the ability to do that, so we're just getting started, and I've got a really, really good staff that's really connected, and we just outwork people at the end of the day. There's no secret sauce to any of this; it's just hard work, and that's kind of who we've been."

Check out Knickoson's full report here on the newest addition to Cincinnati's schedule.

Bookmark Bearcats Talk for the latest news, breakdowns, and so much more. Be sure to check out our YouTube page as well, starting with the video below.

Also, don't miss the podcast, Bearcat Blitz, wherever you get your shows!

Apple  

Spotify  

YouTube

Be sure to keep it locked in on Bearcats Talk, as we cover the trials and tribulations of the Big 12!

Follow Bearcats Talk on Twitter: @BearcatsTalk

Like Bearcats Talk on Facebook: Bearcats Talk