Cincinnati’s non-conference slate keeps getting heavier.
Bearcat Journal’s Keegan Knickoson reported Thursday that the Bearcats are set to face Minnesota in a home-and-home series across the 2026 and 2027 seasons. The dates and sites for those games have not been announced yet, but it gives Cincinnati another matchup against a Big Ten opponent as the schedule continues to take shape.
Minnesota is coming off a 15-18 season in Niko Medved’s first year as head coach. Bart Torvik currently has the Gophers ranked 789th nationally entering the 2027 season, which still makes them a useful early test for Cincinnati before Big 12 play begins.
The Minnesota series adds to what has already become a demanding non-conference list for the Bearcats. Cincinnati has also lined up games against Dayton, kept the Louisville matchup, and earned a spot in the ESPN Events Invitational this fall. With those pieces in place, Cincinnati is expected to see at least 5-6 top-100 teams on most deeper metric sites before conference play arrives.
There is also another notable event on the calendar. Cincinnati is helping host the CareSource Invitational at the Linder Family Tennis Center on October 7, an outdoor game that will be played on Center Court.
“The CareSource Invitational is exactly the type of unique event we envisioned when we reimagined the Lindner Family Tennis Center beyond the Cincinnati Open,” said Bob Moran, President of Beemok Sports & Entertainment, in a press release. “Center Court has long been the stage for unforgettable moments, and we're excited to create an atmosphere and energy that will be unlike anything college basketball fans have experienced before.”
Earlier this offseason, coach Wes Miller made clear what he believes Cincinnati is selling right now.
"What we're really trying to sell is ourselves (the staff) right now. We won 101 games in four years, right?"
Calhoun said in the interview earlier this offseason. "I'd like to have more, but you know, there are a lot of losses in there too that sting.
But that part of it, we can talk about 25 wins (per year) in four years, an elite offensive team over those years, we play a very upbeat new school system that players love to play in the best league in America.
"So, I'm not really concerned about our seven-year run of not playing in the NCAA Tournament, because I think the kids that we've been able to get on this year's roster understand what we're here to do. We're on a mission.
We're not here to mess around. We're here to get back in the NCAA Tournament this year.
And then you're off and running, but you know we're going to recruit at a high level. We're going to be able to attract some of the best talent in the country.
I think we've already shown the ability to do that, so we're just getting started, and I've got a really, really good staff that's really connected, and we just outwork people at the end of the day. There's no secret sauce to any of this; it's just hard work, and that's kind of who we've been."
The Bearcats keep stacking up the kind of games that will tell a lot about where this program stands before the Big 12 grind begins.
In Other News...
Bearcats Lineman Sends Strong Message About Cincinnati's New Quarterback
With Brendan Sorsby gone and a new season already taking shape under Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati has spent the spring sorting out what its offense will look like in 2026. The most important transition is at quarterback, where transfer JC French IV has stepped into the mix after arriving from Georgia Southern, and the early read from inside the building has been encouraging. Offensive lineman Evan Tengesdahl has been among the players watching that change up close, and the Bearcats are leaning on a front that returns key pieces from a group that was a semifinalist for the Joe Moore Award.
For Cincinnati, the lines continuity matters almost as much as the quarterback change itself. If the Bearcats are going to keep pace with or improve on last seasons offensive production, French will need time, trust and a room full of veterans who can help him settle in quickly. Spring workouts are only part of the picture, but they have already given the Bearcats a first look at how the new quarterback fits into a unit that expects more from itself in 2026. [Read more 🡒]
Jerrod Calhoun Is Lining Up Another Major Test For Cincinnati
Jerrod Calhoun is still putting his stamp on Cincinnatis non-conference future, and the latest step is a home-and-home series that would give the Bearcats another sturdy measuring stick before league play begins. The deal is agreed to in principle, which keeps it from being fully official just yet, but it fits the kind of scheduling approach Cincinnati has been building around: challenging games, recognizable opponents and a slate that should tell a lot about where the program stands.
The series also reflects the behind-the-scenes work that often shapes these matchups, with John Cunningham and Minnesota athletic director Mark Coyle helping move it along. Minnesota has been active on the roster front and has shown enough recent progress to make this a worthwhile test, and it adds another layer to a non-conference schedule that already has plenty of familiar pressure points for Cincinnati. [Read more 🡒]
NCAA Eligibility Fight Could Suddenly Impact Cincinnatis Roster Plans
A Hamilton County court ruling could ripple into Cincinnatis roster planning in a hurry, as the NCAAs new five-to-play-five eligibility model faces another legal challenge from a group of basketball players in the high school Class of 2022. The dispute centers on whether athletes who have already used up eligibility under the old system should be barred from getting another year, and it has already created uncertainty for programs trying to map out their transfer options.
For the Bearcats, the timing matters because the transfer market is still taking shape and any change in who can enter it can alter the board quickly. A pretrial conference is set for August 4, and until then Cincinnati and other programs will be watching closely to see whether the case opens the door for more players to pursue one more season, or whether the NCAAs new framework holds firm. [Read more 🡒]