Gophers Reportedly Add Two Buy Games to 2026 Nonconference Slate

Minnesota appears to be putting the final touches on its nonconference schedule for next season.

Nov 8, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Niko Medved looks on during the second half against the Alcorn State Braves at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The Gophers appear to be putting the final touches on their 2026 nonconference schedule with a pair of buy games. They will reportedly host Texas Southern on Wednesday, December 16, and Alcorn State on Sunday, December 20.

Schedule News: Minnesota will host guarantee games against Texas Southern on Wednesday December 16th ($105,000) and Alcorn State on Sunday December 20th ($130,000).

— Alex Rosinski (@WiscyBusiness) June 24, 2026

Minnesota played Texas Southern and Alcorn State as part of its nonconference schedule last season, and it won those games by an average of 39.5 points. Both programs compete in the Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC), and it's essentially a guarantee that both games will be a Quad 4 opportunity for the Gophers again in 2026. The pair of late-December games brings their potential 2026-27 nonconference slate to 11 games.

The previous maximum for regular-season games on a men's college basketball schedule was 31, but that number is increasing to 32 next season. Minnesota's current 11-game nonconference slate would put them at 31 games, with the traditional 20-game Big Ten schedule. The Gophers do not have to add an extra game, but they do have an option.

As it currently stands, the Gophers will not host a power conference team at the Barn in nonconference play for the second straight season, but they did finally schedule St. Thomas as a true marquee matchup. A pair of resume-building games at the Charleston Classic, with two neutral-site games against Cal and SMU, is probably a slight improvement from last season overall.

Potential 2026-27 nonconference schedule

• Nov. 2 vs. North Dakota
• Nov. 6 vs. St. Thomas
• Nov. 13 vs. Southern U.
• Nov. 16 vs. Western Illinois
• Nov. 20 vs. TBA (Charleston Classic)
• Nov. 22 vs. TBA (Charleston Classic)
• Nov. 28 vs. California (in Sioux Falls, SD)
• Dec. 12 vs. SMU (in Frisco, TX)
• Dec. 16 vs. Texas Southern
• Dec. 20 vs. Alcorn State
• Dec. 29 vs. UTSA

It's always going to be hard for a program like Minnesota to schedule a great nonconference slate, unless they become a consistent NCAA Tournament team. It's a risk for other teams to schedule the Gophers when there's a better chance that they look like a bad loss on their resume, rather than a good win.

If the Gophers do add another matchup to their nonconference slate, I would expect it to be minor, or another buy-game. Ultimately, they clearly put an effort into improving their schedule, and there are probably five games that will legitiamtely excite the fanbase before conference play. An official announcement will likely come in the next few weeks.