Maryland’s 2026 men’s basketball non-conference slate is set, and it gives Buzz Williams a little of everything: a clean runway at home, a couple of DMV trips, and a Thanksgiving-week test in Las Vegas that could turn into a long stay if the Terps keep winning.
The schedule features seven games at Xfinity Center, plus two more close to home, as Maryland begins its second season under Williams. The opener comes Monday, November 2 against Bucknell, a matchup the Terps have owned. Maryland has won all nine meetings with the Patriot League program, and the teams last met two years ago.
Five days later, Maryland heads to D.C. to face Georgetown. The Hoyas stunned the Terps in College Park last season, but this time the series flips back to Georgetown’s floor for the first time in a decade.
Virginia follows as the third opponent on the schedule, reviving another old series that returned last season. Maryland will try to turn around a rough stretch against the Cavaliers after losing nine of the last 10, including the previous meeting in Charlottesville.
The early part of the schedule also includes Alcorn State and Wagner. Alcorn State is making its fourth straight trip to College Park, while Wagner will visit for the fourth time overall. Maryland is 4-0 against both teams.
Then comes the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas during Thanksgiving week, where the path could get interesting fast. Maryland opens against Tennessee, an expected AP Top 25 team, in the bracket-style 16-team event. From there, the winner of that game will face the winner of San Diego State and Iowa State, while the losing teams drop into a consolation game.
If Maryland wins twice in Vegas, it would move into the semifinal round on Black Friday with a chance to reach the championship game the following day. And if the Terps somehow win three straight there, they could be forced to cancel one of their remaining home games to stay within the NCAA maximum of 32.
If that doesn’t happen, Maryland’s December home slate includes American, Morgan State and Radford. The Terps will also play a de facto home game in Baltimore against South Carolina.
Maryland’s press release also says the team will play two Big Ten games in December, with those opponents to be announced later alongside the conference schedule.
The Terps went 7-4 in non-conference play last season and will again face several power-conference opponents. Early wins matter here, especially the kind that help build a postseason résumé.
That’s even more important with the playoff expanding to 76 teams, because the Big Ten won’t offer many easy nights. Maryland has to avoid another slow start if it wants to stay out of an early hole.
Still, this roster has more firepower than the one that opened last season. Maryland brings in five-star freshman Baba Oladotun, six transfer additions, and returns big man Pharrel Payne along with instant impacter Andre Mills.
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