Ohio State’s 2026-27 men’s basketball non-conference schedule is built to test the Buckeyes in just about every way before Big Ten play settles in.
The slate includes two neutral-site headliners, road trips to UConn and Notre Dame, and a run of home games that should give Ohio State a chance to settle into its rotation before the conference grind begins. The Buckeyes announced the schedule on Tuesday.
Before the regular season starts, fans will get an early look at the Scarlet and Gray twice in October. Ohio State opens with an outdoor exhibition against Cincinnati on Oct. 7 in Mason, Ohio, as part of the CareSource Invitational.
That doubleheader also includes Dayton vs. Xavier and is set for 3 p.m.
ET. The Buckeyes will then host Butler in a home exhibition on Sunday, Oct. 25, at Value City Arena.
The real action begins Monday, Nov. 2, when Ohio State meets BYU in Salt Lake City, Utah, in a neutral-site opener. The Buckeyes are 4-3 all-time against the Cougars.
Four days later, Ohio State returns to Columbus for its home opener against Youngstown State on Friday, Nov. 6, with a 6-0 all-time mark against the Penguins on the line. Marshall visits Value City Arena next on Monday, Nov.
Ohio State’s first true road test comes Friday, Nov. 13, when it travels to Storrs, Connecticut, to face UConn in the first game of a home-and-home series. The Buckeyes have played the Huskies six times and have won four of those meetings.
After that, the schedule turns back to Columbus for a three-game stretch. Prairie View A&M comes to town on Monday, Nov. 16 in the first meeting between the programs, followed by UMBC on Thursday, Nov.
- Ohio State is 4-0 against the Retrievers.
Vanderbilt rounds out that stretch on Tuesday, Nov. 24, launching another home-and-home series and giving the Buckeyes a notable SEC matchup. Vanderbilt leads the all-time series 4-3.
November closes with Lipscomb on Sunday, Nov. 29. It will be just the second meeting between the schools; Ohio State won the first one, 84-64, in 2009.
December starts with another road challenge, this time at Notre Dame on Saturday, Dec. 12 in South Bend, Indiana. That game is the second half of a home-and-home series. Ohio State edged the Fighting Irish 64-63 last season in Columbus and now owns a 10-4 lead in the series.
The Buckeyes return home to face Stony Brook on Tuesday, Dec. 15.
Ohio State has won 15 of the 16 meetings between the teams. Then comes one of the marquee dates on the calendar: Kansas at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 12 p.m.
ET as part of the CBS Sports Classic. The Jayhawks lead the all-time series 8-3.
Ohio State wraps up non-conference play at home against Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday, Dec. 22. It will be the second meeting between the teams; the Buckeyes won the first one 83-56 in 1992.
With BYU, UConn, Notre Dame and Kansas all on the schedule, Ohio State will see a mix of styles and settings before conference play fully takes over. The home portion of the slate also features a long list of lower-major and mid-major opponents - Youngstown State, Marshall, Prairie View A&M, UMBC, Lipscomb, Stony Brook and Mississippi Valley State - giving the Buckeyes chances to build depth early.
Word on the 2026-27 conference schedule is still pending, though Big Ten play is expected to begin in early December and pick back up around the new year.
In Other News...
Ohio State Commit Jamier Brown Suddenly Has A Delay Fans Will Notice
Jamier Browns senior season at Huber Heights Wayne will begin with an unexpected pause, as the five-star wide receiver and Ohio State commit has been handed a two-game suspension for two unrelated OHSAA rules violations. The setback is not tied to his transfer back to Wayne, but it will still keep one of the states most closely watched prospects off the field for the opening stretch of the year.
Brown is expected to return in Week 3 and make his season debut against St. Edward, giving fans their first chance to see the Buckeyes pledge in game action after missing the first two games. For Ohio State, it is a brief delay rather than a lasting concern, but it is the kind of early-season wrinkle that immediately changes the spotlight around a player with his profile. [Read more 🡒]
Former Buckeye George Fitzpatrick Faces A Serious Fight For His Future
George Fitzpatricks path back to the field has hit a significant roadblock, with the former Ohio State offensive lineman now at Kansas State set to miss the entire 2026 season after not being medically cleared to play. The news comes after a medical issue roughly a month ago kept him from returning to practice, and it has changed the conversation from football development to something much more urgent.
Kansas State coach Collin Klein said Fitzpatrick has not yet reached the health benchmarks needed for a return, and while football is not being ruled out completely, the focus has shifted to his long-term well-being. For Buckeye fans who followed his career in Columbus, it is a sobering reminder that some roster stories are measured less by depth charts than by whether a player can get healthy enough to simply move forward. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Legend Questions What Ryan Day Took From The Game
Ryan Days decision to move Ohio States Senior Day from the familiar late-November setting against Michigan to Week 1 against Ball State has stirred a conversation that goes beyond one ceremony on the schedule. For Buckeye fans and former players, the timing of Senior Day has long been tied to the emotional finish of a season, so shifting it to the opener naturally raised eyebrows and invited plenty of reaction.
Cardale Jones was among the former Buckeyes who pushed back, saying he disagreed with the change and stressing the value of keeping Senior Day at the end of the year. The debate now sits at the intersection of tradition and modern college football, where even long-standing rituals can feel unsettled, and Ohio States move has left some wondering whether this is a one-time adjustment or a sign of more changes to come. [Read more 🡒]