Gophers Schedule Marquee Nonconference Games at Sanford Pentagon

Gophers women's basketball announced on Tuesday that they will add neutral-site nonconference games against Kansas and Kansas State to their 2026 and 2027 schedules, respectively.

NEWS: Gophers WBB has agreed to play in a doubleheader November event at the Sanford Pentagon in 2026 and 2027.

They will play Kansas State in 2026 and Kansas in 2027, per release. A great early-season non-conference opportunity for Minnesota. https://t.co/b5Vs72cLjI pic.twitter.com/K7xdfwTuiq
— Tony Liebert (@TonyLiebert) February 24, 2026

The Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, announced on Tuesday that it's bringing back "The Invitational," which was a nonconference event that was previously played in 2021 and 2022. Kansas State, Kansas, Nebraska and Minnesota have all agreed to participate in the event in 2026 and 2027.

The event is scheduled for November in both years. Since Nebraska and Minnesota both participate in the Big Ten conference, they will not match up either year. The Gophers will face Kansas State on Nov. 14, 2026, and Kansas on Nov. 6, 2027, according to the release.

Kansas State has made the NCAA Tournament in six of the last 10 seasons, and Kansas has gone dancing in two of the last four years. Both games should be a resume-building opportunity for Minnesota early in the season.

The Gophers had a significantly improved nonconference schedule for the 2025-26 season, compared to years in the past. They hosted Marquette, played Kansas on the road, and faced USF and Alabama at the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship in the Bahamas.

The Sanford Pentagon is less than four hours away from Williams Arena, so this event will be a relatively regional opportunity for Gophers fans to watch their team in a Power Conference nonconference matchup. It will also give Minnesota a marquee game to schedule the rest of its schedule around next season and in 2027.