Cincinnati has laid out its 2026-27 non-conference path, and first-year head coach Jerrod Calhoun now knows exactly what his team is walking into before Big 12 play begins.
The Bearcats’ slate includes 10 regular-season games, plus two exhibition games at Fifth Third Arena. The full Big 12 schedule, along with game times and broadcast information, will come later.
The early stretch starts with one of the most unusual settings on the calendar. Cincinnati will open its exhibition schedule Oct. 7 at the CareSource Invitational outdoor doubleheader at Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, where it will face Ohio State. That event also features Dayton and Xavier.
After that, the Bearcats return home for exhibitions against 2026 Final Four participant Illinois on Oct. 17 and Oakland on Oct. 27.
Once the games count for real, Cincinnati gets three straight at Fifth Third Arena to begin the season. The home opener comes Nov. 2 against American, followed by Green Bay on Nov. 5 and Minnesota on Nov.
- That stretch is broken up only when the Bearcats head to Dayton on Nov.
From there, the home schedule picks back up quickly. Youngstown State visits Nov.
18, UMass Lowell comes in Nov. 22, and then Cincinnati heads to Orlando, Fla., for the ESPN Events Invitational on Nov. 26-27.
December brings a mix of familiar and headline games. The Bearcats host Monmouth on Dec. 2 before taking on Xavier in the Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout on Dec. 5 at Fifth Third Arena. Stetson is next on Dec. 14, and then Cincinnati meets Clemson on Dec. 19 in the Cincinnati Clash at Heritage Bank Center.
The final two non-conference games are both at home, with Marist on Dec. 22 and Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 29. After that, Big 12 play arrives in January.
Season ticket packages that include all regular-season home games at Fifth Third Arena go on sale at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
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