The defending national champion Michigan men’s basketball team is going big with its 2026-27 non-conference slate, and the path to Big Ten play is packed with heavyweight dates, neutral-site showcases and a return trip to the tournament where it just won the title.
Michigan announced the schedule Friday, and it starts with three preseason exhibitions. The Wolverines open at Crisler Center against Eastern Michigan on Sunday, Oct. 11, with former U-M assistant coach Billy Donlon bringing the Eagles to Ann Arbor for a Washtenaw County matchup. The preseason wraps up on Sunday, Oct. 25, when Michigan meets Houston in The Battleground 2k26 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Mich.
"We're excited for the challenges our non-conference schedule provides us," said David and Meredith Kaplan Men's Basketball Head Coach Mike Boynton Jr. "We feel it gives us a strong variety of games as we build and prepare for the rigors of Big Ten play.
With several tough games away from Ann Arbor, our team will have opportunities to grow and be tested early in the season. At the same time, we're looking forward to bringing quality opponents and games to Crisler Center for our fans."
The regular season begins Monday, Nov. 2, with Oakland visiting Crisler Center. Michigan then jumps straight into a major early test, traveling to Boston three days later for a rematch with UConn at TD Garden on Friday, Nov.
- That game is part of the Naismith Hall of Fame Series and gives the Wolverines another crack at the Huskies in a national championship game rematch.
From there, the schedule keeps rolling. Michigan opens a home-and-home series with Marquette in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Nov. 11, then hosts William & Mary on Sunday, Nov.
- After that, the Wolverines could spend five straight games away from home.
That stretch begins in Philadelphia against Villanova on Saturday, Nov. 21, at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Then comes the trip back to Las Vegas, where Michigan will defend its 2025 Players Era championship.
The Wolverines start that event against Creighton on Tuesday, Nov. 24, at T-Mobile Arena. After a day off, they’ll face either TCU or Miami on Thanksgiving Day. Placement games will be set by results, with semifinals on Friday, Nov. 27, and a potential matchup against Alabama, Baylor, Gonzaga or Kansas State.
If Michigan wins all three games, it moves on to the championship game on Saturday, Nov. 28, at Michelob ULTRA Arena. If it doesn’t reach the title game, the Wolverines will return to Ann Arbor to host Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday, Dec.
- That game would be canceled if Michigan advances to the final.
December brings more notable non-conference action. Michigan will play Louisville at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Saturday, Dec. 5, before returning home for games against Detroit Mercy on Monday, Dec. 21, and Toledo on Wednesday, Dec. 30.
The Wolverines also have their annual pair of early Big Ten games during the Dec. 6-13 window, with the dates, opponents and locations still to come. The full 20-game Big Ten schedule, along with game times and television assignments, will be announced later.
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