Skip to main content
Inside The Mustangs

What we know about SMU's basketball's Non-Conference Schedule

There are a lot more suspected games on tap for SMU's non-conference for this upcoming season than fans realize.
Ryan Kay|
The SMU Mustangs mascot will be ready for non-conference play. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
The SMU Mustangs mascot will be ready for non-conference play. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In this story:

SMU Mustangs

It is the middle of July, but more and more information and rumors about games SMU will likely play are being discussed on social media.

Even before SMU begins their 2026-2027 season, they are going to take a trip to Italy to play in some exhibition games this upcoming August.

Here is what we officially know about SMU Men’s Basketball non-conference schedule info for the upcoming 2026-27 season that has been verified and announced by the school's athletic department. The full and complete 2026-27 non-conference schedule has yet to be finalized, but SMU has announced several marquee non-conference games:

2026-27 Non-Conference Opponents

*Dec. 5, at DePaul (Wintrust Arena – Chicago, Ill.)
*Dec 6: vs. UNLV (Hall of Fame Series) (Mortgage Matchup Center Phoenix, AZ)
*Dec 22 vs. Oklahoma (Moody Coliseum – Dallas, TX)

SMU will travel to Chicago to play DePaul in an early December non-conference game. SMU will host DePaul next season as part of the home-and-home agreement. The two basketball programs have never played against each other in the regular season or any postseason tournament.

SMU will play UNLV in Phoenix, Arizona, as part of the Hall of Fame Series in late December. For the ninth time, the Mustangs and Rebels will meet, with SMU winning the last two in 2019 and ‘21 as part of a home-and-home series. SMU leads the all-time series 5-3. The two programs were members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) for three seasons in the late 90s.

SMU announced they will host the Oklahoma Sooners for a game right before Christmas on the 22nd. Oklahoma has led all-time since the teams began playing one another back in the 1916-17 season. The Sooners are 11-9 against the Mustangs when the games are played in Dallas and 2-1 at neutral sites. Oklahoma won the last three matchups that took place in the early 2000s.

Here are some unconfirmed non-conference scheduled games for the Mustangs.

SMU reportedly will begin their season against Southern University. The Jaguars finished in second place in the SWAC last season and won the regular season conference title the season before.

SMU will reportedly host Ball State on Nov. 13th. The Cardinals struggled last season with a losing record, but they did end the season by winning their last four games.

The most intriguing non-conference scheduling news is who SMU will play as part of the Acrisure Series in Palm Springs that will be played on the 25th and 26th of November. Nothing yet has been confirmed, but if the news is true, the Mustangs could play USC, Arizona State, and/or LSU in this MTE.

It's a little surprising that SMU is not participating in "The Dallas Tournament." However, maybe the reason SMU is not playing in the tournament is that it is only non-power four conference teams in the tournament.

There is sure to be more news, confirmations, and rumors of who SMU will play in non-conference play later this summer.

More on SMU Mustangs on SI

Stay up-to-date with the Mustangs by bookmarking SMU On SI.

Add us as a preferred source on Google
Published
Ryan Kay
RYAN KAY

Ryan Kay is a journalist who graduated from Michigan State in 2003 and is passionate about covering college sports and enjoys writing features and articles covering various collegiate teams. He has worked as an editor at Go Joe Bruin and has been a contributor for Longhorns Wire and Busting Brackets. He is a contributor for SMU On SI.

Home/Men's Basketball