Look: 2026-27 Bearcats Basketball Non-Conference Schedule Finalized

The Bearcats have dropped their 2026-27 basketball non-conference schedule ahead of the season tip-off in early November.

Jerrod Calhoun's first season as head coach features plenty of marquee non-conference and Big 12 matchups to give his all-transfer roster plenty of chances to prove they are worthy of an NCAA Tournament spot.

From Xavier to Clemson, Kansas and more, Cincinnati has tons of fun games to get excited for.

The team is currently ranked 42nd on Bart Torvik's preseason projection rankings ahead of the campaign. Calhoun is facing a ton of great coaches in the Big 12 across the coming months.

"This league is full of Hall of Famers. That's really what stood out to me. When you really dissect the Big 12, you've got surefire Hall of Famers already, then you've got a whole batch of coaches that are kind of that next generation of guys in the league," Calhoun said earlier this offseason. "It's been phenomenal, all of those guys, from Coach Self to Coach Sampson to Kevin Young, those guys have been great to me.

"I think it's really a brotherhood of coaches in the Big 12. I think all of us want what's best for the league, but it really starts and ends with our commissioner. He's the real deal. He's forward-thinking, but yeah, we have our work cut out for us. We did when we went into the Mountain West ... So I think you have to be convicted on the way you play, but you also have to change some things up as well."

Check out the non-conference slate below:

Oct. 7 vs. Ohio State (exh.) Lindner Family Tennis Center

Oct. 17 Illinois (exh.) Fifth Third Arena

Oct. 27 Oakland (exh.) Fifth Third Arena

Nov. 2 American Fifth Third Arena

Nov. 5 Green Bay Fifth Third Arena

Nov. 9 Minnesota Fifth Third Arena

Nov. 14 at Dayton UD Arena

Nov. 18 Youngstown State Fifth Third Arena

Nov. 22 UMass Lowell Fifth Third Arena

Nov. 26-27 ESPN Events Invitational ESPN Wide World of Sports

Dec. 2 Monmouth Fifth Third Arena

Dec. 5 Xavier Fifth Third Arena

Dec. 14 Stetson Fifth Third Arena

Dec. 19 vs. Clemson Heritage Bank Center

Dec. 22 Marist Fifth Third Arena

Dec. 29 Bethune-Cookman Fifth Third Arena

📅 Our 2026-27 non-conference schedule is here.

Season tickets go on sale Tuesday morning. 👀

📝: https://t.co/lC0ASnbEKc pic.twitter.com/KsVfq3b28I
— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) August 21, 2026

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