The Miami Hurricanes have their 2026-27 non-conference slate in place, and Jai Lucas isn’t easing into anything. Florida opens the season, Las Vegas is on the itinerary, and Texas waits later in the schedule in a game that doubles as a homecoming for Lucas and sophomore Shelton Henderson.
Miami announced the full schedule Thursday morning, and it comes with three SEC opponents plus a trip to the Players Era Tournament in Las Vegas. The Hurricanes will begin the year in Tampa on Nov. 2 against the Florida Gators, a matchup that always carries plenty of attention no matter the sport. Florida enters with its star frontcourt of Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Rueben Chinyelu still intact, while Xavian Lee is gone as he pursues NBA dreams after spending the Las Vegas Summer League with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Las Vegas stop arrives next. Miami is set for the Players Era Tournament, where it will face TCU in a first-round game on Nov.
- A win would send the Hurricanes into a Nov. 26 meeting with either Michigan or Creighton.
Once that stretch ends, Miami returns home for another major test. Alabama visits on Dec. 2 for the ACC/SEC Challenge.
The Crimson Tide lost sophomore All-American Labaron Philon Jr. to the NBA Draft, where he was taken in the first round at No. 22 by the Philadelphia 76ers. Even so, Aden Holloway and Amari Allen remain important pieces for Alabama.
The schedule then eases briefly with Stetson coming to town on Dec. 5.
From there, the focus shifts to Houston for a Dec. 12 matchup against Texas. It is a homecoming game for Lucas and Henderson, both Texas natives, and the game will be played at Toyota Center rather than Moody Center in a designated neutral-site setting.
Lucas clearly set out to give Miami a demanding non-conference run. The Hurricanes are coming off a historic 26-9 turnaround season, and the roster has been reshaped with two freshmen, seven transfers, an international addition, and returnees Dante Allen, Henderson, and Marcus Allen.
The program has climbed back into the conversation around Coral Gables. Now comes the next step.
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