Cincinnati’s 2026-27 basketball non-conference slate is set, and Jerrod Calhoun’s first season at the helm will open with a schedule built to test this transfer-heavy roster right away.
The Bearcats will get started in early November, and the lineup of opponents gives them no shortage of spotlight games before Big 12 play arrives. Xavier, Clemson and Kansas are among the matchups on the calendar, giving Cincinnati plenty of chances to make an early statement.
That challenge fits the backdrop around the program. The Bearcats are currently 42nd in Bart Torvik’s preseason projection rankings, and Calhoun is stepping into a league loaded with established names on the sideline.
“This league is full of Hall of Famers. That's really what stood out to me.
When you really dissect the Big 12, you've got surefire Hall of Famers already, then you've got a whole batch of coaches that are kind of that next generation of guys in the league,” Calhoun said earlier this offseason. “It's been phenomenal, all of those guys, from Coach Self to Coach Sampson to Kevin Young, those guys have been great to me.
“I think it's really a brotherhood of coaches in the Big 12. I think all of us want what's best for the league, but it really starts and ends with our commissioner.
He's the real deal. He's forward-thinking, but yeah, we have our work cut out for us.
We did when we went into the Mountain West ... So I think you have to be convicted on the way you play, but you also have to change some things up as well.”
There are two other dates attached to the schedule release. Cincinnati will face Ohio State in an exhibition on Oct. 7 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, and the Bearcats will play in the ESPN Events Invitational on Nov. 26-27 at ESPN Wide World of Sports.
In Other News...
Bearcats Suddenly Face A Roster Fight That Could Impact MJ Collins
The Bearcats are waiting on a pair of legal developments that could shape their roster before the season gets going, with MJ Collins right in the middle of it. A Colorado court has granted the NCAAs stay request in NCAA v. Wisne, temporarily taking away fifth-year eligibility protections for qualifying Class of 2022 athletes, while the Ohio Court of Appeals has also issued a stay involving Collins and any possible 15th roster addition from that same class.
For Cincinnati, the timing matters because the program is still awaiting final decisions before knowing how Collins fits into the upcoming season. Oral arguments in Ohio are set for Sept. 22, and until those cases are resolved, the Bearcats are left navigating a roster question that could alter how they finish putting the group together. [Read more 🡒]
Jerrod Calhouns First Bearcats Schedule Brings Early Pressure
Jerrod Calhouns first season guiding Cincinnati now has a non-conference roadmap, and it does not leave much room for easing into the job. The Bearcats have unveiled a schedule that mixes exhibition dates with the usual buy games, while also putting some of the sports familiar heavyweight names on the calendar, giving the new coach an immediate look at where his team stands.
Ohio State, Illinois, Minnesota and Xavier are all part of the early slate, a lineup that should bring plenty of attention before league play ever arrives. The opening exhibition is set for October 7, 2026, and for a program trying to establish a new voice under Calhoun, the early weeks figure to say a lot about how quickly Cincinnati can settle in. [Read more 🡒]
Cincinnati Faces A Brutal Test That Could Define Satterfield's Future
Cincinnati has spent the first two seasons of its Big 12 life showing enough progress to suggest the rebuild is real, but not enough consistency to quiet the noise around Scott Satterfield. The Bearcats have fortified themselves up front with an offensive line that could send more than one player toward the NFL, while on the other side of the ball a new defensive coordinator is installing a 3-4 scheme in hopes of giving the defense a more defined identity.
The problem is the road ahead looks unforgiving, with several ranked opponents waiting and little margin for the kind of late-season fade that has already put extra pressure on the program. Add in major roster turnover, especially at the skill spots, and Cincinnati is asking a lot of newcomers to fill the gaps left by departures to the transfer portal and the NFL. The Bearcats have enough pieces to look better, but this schedule may decide whether improvement is enough or whether the frustration around Satterfield only grows louder. [Read more 🡒]