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Big Ten Conference Announces 2025-26 Men's Basketball Opponents; Nebraska Double-Plays Iowa, Illinois, Northwestern

The Huskers will host several NCAA Tournament qualifiers as part of the 20-game Big Ten slate.
Kaleb Henry|
Mar 4, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Connor Essegian (0) drives to the basket as Ohio State Buckeyes guard Evan Mahaffey (12) defends during the first half at Value City Arena.
Mar 4, 2025; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers guard Connor Essegian (0) drives to the basket as Ohio State Buckeyes guard Evan Mahaffey (12) defends during the first half at Value City Arena. | Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

In this story:

Nebraska CornhuskersIllinois Fighting IlliniIndiana HoosiersIowa HawkeyesMaryland TerrapinsMichigan WolverinesMichigan State SpartansMinnesota Golden GophersNorthwestern WildcatsOhio State BuckeyesOregon DucksPenn State Nittany LionsPurdue BoilermakersRutgers Scarlet KnightsUCLA BruinsUSC TrojansWashington HuskiesWisconsin Badgers

The Big Ten Conference has announced conference opponents for all 18 schools for the 2025-26 men's basketball season.

Each member institution will play a 20-game conference schedule, playing three schools both home and away, while facing 14 teams once. Of the single-play opponents, member institutions will play seven at home and seven on the road.

Nebraska's double-play opponents are Illinois, Iowa, and Northwestern. Last season's schedule had the Big Red slotted with Iowa, Ohio State, and Maryland.

The 10 Big Ten home games are highlighted by a visit from Big Ten regular-season champion Michigan State as well as NCAA Tournament qualifiers Illinois, Maryland, Oregon Purdue and Wisconsin. Oregon and Washington will make their first visits to Lincoln as members of the Big Ten.

The Huskers’ 10-game conference road slate features games against Big Ten Tournament champion Michigan, as well as trips to Illinois and UCLA. NU’s west coast trip for the 2025-26 season will include games at UCLA and USC.

Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg holds up the College Basketball Crown trophy after the Huskers beat UCF in the championship game.
Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg holds up the College Basketball Crown trophy after the Huskers beat UCF in the championship game. | College Basketball Crown/Intersport

The Huskers are coming off a 21-14 season that ended with a title at the College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas. The Huskers return five letterwinners from last season, including starters Berke Büyüktuncel and Sam Hoiberg, along with Connor Essegian, who averaged 10.7 ppg off the bench last season.

The Big Red will also have new pieces that weren't part of the 2024-25 campaign. Rienk Mast, a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023-24, is back after missing last season with an injury. The Huskers also have brought in several transfer portal pieces, including former Husker guard Jamarques Lawrence, who was part of the last Nebraska team to make the NCAA Tournament.

Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Rienk Mast (51) works around Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0).
Mar 16, 2024; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Rienk Mast (51) works around Illinois Fighting Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) during the second half at Target Center. | Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

You can see the full list of opponents and home or away designations for every team below.

ILLINOIS
Home: Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Rutgers, Washington, Wisconsin
Away: Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, UCLA, USC
Home/Away: Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern

INDIANA
Home: Iowa, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon, Penn State, Washington, Wisconsin
Away: Illinois, Maryland Michigan, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
Home/Away: Michigan State, Minnesota, Purdue 

IOWA
Home: Illinois, Michigan, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
Away: Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Oregon, Penn State, Washington, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Maryland, Nebraska, Purdue

MARYLAND
Home: Indiana, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Washington
Away: Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Illinois, Iowa, Rutgers

MICHIGAN
Home: Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
Away: Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Oregon, Purdue, Washington
Home/Away: Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State

MICHIGAN STATE
Home: Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Ohio State, UCLA, USC
Away: Minnesota, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Washington, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Indiana, Michigan, Rutgers

MINNESOTA
Home: Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Nebraska, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
Away: Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Washington
Home/Away: Indiana, Northwestern, Wisconsin

NEBRASKA
Home: Maryland, Michigan State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Washington, Wisconsin
Away: Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
Home/Away: Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern 

NORTHWESTERN
Home: Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Washington
Away: Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska

OHIO STATE
Home: Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Purdue, UCLA, USC
Away: Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Oregon, Rutgers, Washington
Home/Away: Michigan, Penn State, Wisconsin

OREGON
Home: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin
Away: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers
Home/Away: UCLA, USC, Washington

PENN STATE
Home: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
Away: Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oregon, Purdue, Washington
Home/Away: Michigan, Ohio State, Rutgers

 PURDUE
Home: Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Oregon, Penn State, Washington
Away: Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
Home/Away: Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin

RUTGERS
Home: Indiana, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon, Purdue, Washington
Away: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Maryland, Michigan State, Penn State

UCLA
Home: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers
Away: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Oregon, USC, Washington

USC
Home: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers
Away: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Oregon, UCLA, Washington

WASHINGTON
Home: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Wisconsin
Away: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers
Home/Away: Oregon, UCLA, USC

WISCONSIN
Home: Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
Away: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Washington
Home/Away: Minnesota, Ohio State, Purdue

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Kaleb Henry
KALEB HENRY

Kaleb Henry is an award-winning sports reporter, covering collegiate athletics since 2014 via radio, podcasting, and digital journalism. His experience with Big Ten Conference teams goes back more than a decade, including time covering programs such as the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Oregon Ducks, and USC Trojans. He has contributed to Sports Illustrated since 2021. Kaleb has won multiple awards for his sports coverage from the Nebraska Broadcasters Association and Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association. Prior to working in sports journalism, Kaleb was a Division I athlete on the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Track and Field team where he discussed NCAA legislation as SIUE's representative to the Ohio Valley Conference Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. 

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