California men’s basketball now knows what the road to ACC play looks like in 2026-27, and it’s a schedule built around a heavy dose of home cooking.
The Golden Bears will host 11 of their 14 nonconference games at Haas Pavilion, with only two trips leaving the state: a neutral-site matchup against Minnesota at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., and a road game at former conference foe Utah. Before the games count for real, Cal will also get exhibition tests at LMU on Oct. 16 and at Oregon State on Oct. 24.
The season opens Nov. 2 at Haas against Adams State, and that night comes with a doubleheader feel. The Cal women host Washington State before the men take on the Grizzlies. Two days later, Radford comes to Berkeley for Cal’s second game of the season.
The Bears’ nonconference slate also includes a major showcase on Nov. 8, when they face Houston in the first Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic at Tahoe Blue Event Center in Lake Tahoe, Nev. The Cal women will be part of that event as well.
Back home, Cal settles into a four-game stretch at Haas that starts with USC on Nov. 11.
That meeting carries extra weight in the record book: it will be the 273rd game in a series that dates to the 1916-17 season. After the Trojans, the Bears stay in Berkeley for Utah Tech on Nov.
14, East Texas A&M on Nov. 19 and Alabama State on Nov. 23.
The back half of the nonconference schedule brings the two out-of-state games. Cal heads to Sioux Falls to play Minnesota on Nov. 28, then goes to Salt Lake City for Utah on Dec. 2.
From there, the Bears close the nonconference portion with five straight at Haas. Vanderbilt visits on Dec. 6, followed by Southeastern Louisiana on Dec.
10, UC Riverside on Dec. 20 and Northeastern on Dec. 22.
Among the opponents on the slate, five are first-time meetings for Cal: Adams State, Radford, Utah Tech, East Texas A&M and Alabama State. Vanderbilt, Southeastern Louisiana and Northeastern will each be only the second all-time opponent the Bears have faced.
ACC play will begin before the calendar turns, with the conference schedule due in the coming weeks. Tip times and broadcast details are expected to be finalized in late September or early October.
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Cals ACC Opener Suddenly Looks Far More Dangerous
The build-up to Cals first ACC game of the season has turned unexpectedly murky, with the line for the Syracuse matchup swinging sharply after recent results. What had been a manageable looking opener now carries a different edge, and it comes at a time when the Bears are trying to sort through their own health issues while preparing for a conference debut that already had enough weight on it.
Cals injury list is the bigger concern on the home side, with center Bastian Swinney, running back Carter Vargas and tight end Dorian Thomas all in question for the game. Jaron-Keawe is expected to go despite a sprained ankle, which at least gives the Bears some stability under center, but the combination of roster uncertainty and a suddenly tougher betting read has made this a much less comfortable spot than it looked just a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Fans Just Got An Early Read On The Bears Next Test
California mens basketball now has its 2026-27 nonconference slate mapped out, and it gives Bears fans a pretty clear early look at what this team is about to face before ACC play begins. The schedule is built around home-court comfort, with most of the nonconference games set for Haas Pavilion, while also introducing several fresh opponents that should give the Bears a different kind of test than they usually see in the opening stretch.
The headline game is a meeting with Houston in the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic, a matchup that stands out immediately on a list that also includes a rivalry date with USC. Add in a handful of first-time opponents and only a small number of trips away from Berkeley, and the early part of the season should tell plenty about how Cal stacks up before the conference grind starts. [Read more 🡒]
Cal Fans Just Got Their First Real Measuring Stick
Cals mens basketball non-conference slate is now set, and it gives fans a clearer early look at what this group will face before Pac-12 play. The Bears will get multiple chances to settle in at Haas Pavilion, with home dates that include USC and Vanderbilt, while the schedule also brings a trip to Minnesota and a neutral-site showcase in the region that has become a November proving ground for plenty of programs.
What makes this release matter is the balance of it: enough home comfort to build momentum, but also a few games that will tell the Bears a lot about where they stand. The mix of familiar buildings and tougher travel tests should give Cal a useful read on its rotation and its identity, even if the most revealing part of the schedule is still the one that will answer how this team handles a true road environment. [Read more 🡒]