Indiana basketball now has its full roadmap for the 2026-27 season.
The Big Ten released the conference dates on Wednesday, and when those were paired with the previously announced nonconference matchups, the entire 32-game schedule came into focus. The only pieces still missing are the television assignments and tip times, which will be announced later.
As has become standard, Indiana will slot two Big Ten games into the middle of the nonconference stretch so the league slate reaches its full 20 games.
The regular season opens Nov. 2 against Eastern Illinois in Bloomington and rolls through a loaded November that includes Bellarmine on Nov. 5, Syracuse in Indianapolis on Nov.
9, Tennessee Tech on Nov. 12, Arkansas in New York on Nov. 17 and Kentucky in Indianapolis on Nov. 20 on CBS.
The month closes with Jacksonville on Nov. 24 and Bowling Green on Nov. 27.
December brings Rutgers on Dec. 1 and Western Illinois on Dec. 3 before the Big Ten grind starts to take shape with a road trip to Iowa on Dec. 7.
Indiana then returns home for Central Florida on Dec. 12, Missouri on Dec. 18 and Fairleigh Dickinson on Dec.
The conference portion picks back up after the calendar flips, beginning with USC on Jan. 2.
From there, the Hoosiers head west for games at Oregon on Jan. 6 and Washington on Jan. 9, then return home for Maryland on Jan. 12 and Michigan on Jan. 16.
Minnesota waits on Jan. 20, Illinois visits on Jan.
24, Northwestern is next at home on Jan. 27, and UCLA comes to Bloomington on Jan. 30.
February keeps the pace moving with trips to Penn State on Feb. 2, Nebraska on Feb.
6, Maryland on Feb. 13, and Wisconsin on Feb. 19.
In between, Indiana hosts Northwestern on Feb. 9, Purdue on Feb.
16, Michigan State on Feb. 23 and Ohio State on Feb. 28.
The regular season wraps up March 5 with a road game at Purdue.
Before any of that, Indiana has three exhibition dates lined up: Butler on Oct. 11 in Indianapolis, North Carolina on Oct. 18 in Indianapolis, and Western Kentucky on Oct. 25 in Evansville.
In Other News...
Indiana's Big Ten Path Suddenly Looks More Open Than Expected
Through the first two weeks, Indianas route through the Big Ten has started to look a little less daunting than it did on paper. The schedule still carries the usual weight of a league race, but some of the conferences biggest names have already shown enough vulnerability to make the Hoosiers path feel more navigable than many expected in August.
Michigan and Ohio State are still Michigan and Ohio State, and nothing about a September snapshot changes their standing for long. Still, recent performances across the league have opened up the conversation around Indianas chances to stay in the hunt for Indianapolis and, by extension, the College Football Playoff, especially with the status of teams like USC and Washington adding more uncertainty to the broader picture. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Defense Suddenly Faces A Bigger Problem Than Week 3
Indianas defensive front has taken an unexpected hit just as the schedule starts to tighten. Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley had been cleared to play under a temporary restraining order for the first two games, but that protection has now expired, leaving both linemen out for the upcoming Week 3 matchup with Western Kentucky.
A judge is expected to rule next week on the injunction that could settle their eligibility, possibly before Big Ten play begins. For Indiana, the uncertainty matters because both players have already given the defense meaningful snaps in the past, and their status now hangs on court decisions rather than anything happening on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Is Already Making New Receivers Earn Their Roles
Curt Cignetti has already made it clear that Indianas receiver room is not going to hand out roles based on reputation alone. Compared with the 2024 group, the 2026 wideout depth chart is deeper and more versatile, and that has pushed the Hoosiers to ask more from their newcomers. Shazz Preston and Nick Marsh are both being used with an eye toward flexibility, with the staff wanting each of them to learn multiple spots as the offense sorts out who can handle the biggest responsibilities.
Preston got the start over Marsh in a recent game, and both receivers saw their playing time increase as Indiana works through the early stages of that evaluation. The message from the coaching staff has been about consistency and adaptability, not just talent, which means the competition in that room is far from settled. Second-year receiver Lebron Bond has also been sidelined by injury and missed the game against Howard, adding another layer to a position group that is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]