Dan Hurley didn’t exactly hide the size of what UConn was putting together.
Back in April, just days after the Huskies fell to Michigan in the national championship game, he told fans the 2026-27 nonconference slate might top anything they had seen before. “If people thought last year’s (nonconference schedule) was exciting and a big undertaking,” he said, “I think this year’s will probably end up blowing that away.”
He wasn’t kidding. UConn’s schedule is loaded with seven power conference games against six teams in the Preseason AP Top 25, plus another team that received votes.
And that’s before even getting to the Big East, where St. John’s is ranked and Villanova and Marquette are also in the mix.
The result is an Elite 8 of games that should have college basketball fans paying attention from opening week all the way into March.
The first one comes fast: Nov. 6 against Michigan at TD Garden on TNT at 8 p.m. It’s a national championship rematch, and even with Michigan losing three players to the NBA Draft, star freshman Brandon McCoy Jr. to an ACL tear and head coach Dusty May to the Dallas Mavericks, the Wolverines still bring plenty to the table. They’re No. 16 in the preseason AP Poll, and guards Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney are back for new coach Mike Boynton.
Two weeks later, UConn heads to Arizona on Nov. 18 for an FS1 game at 9 p.m. The Wildcats were the only team to beat the Huskies in nonconference play last season, taking advantage of the absences of Braylon Mullins and Tarris Reed Jr. at Gampel Pavilion.
Arizona won’t be any easier this time around. Tommy Lloyd has added No. 3 overall recruit Caleb Holt to a group that already includes wing Ivan Kharchenkov and 7-foot-2, 260-pound center Motiejus Krivas, one of the five AP Preseason All-Americans.
Thanksgiving Eve brings another heavyweight: Duke on Nov. 25 at 7 p.m. on Amazon Prime. The memory of Braylon Mullins’ shot is still fresh after it stunned more than 18.9 million live viewers, and this one has all the ingredients of a revenge game for Jon Scheyer’s group.
Duke’s roster includes Cayden Boozer, 7-2 big Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, high-scorer John Blackwell, center Patrick Ngongba and wing Dame Sarr. It also sets up a reunion with Nik Khamenia, who left Durham for Storrs soon after the transfer portal opened.
Then comes a stretch of games against familiar bluebloods and familiar coaches. On Dec.
4, UConn visits Illinois in Chicago on FOX at 7 p.m. That will be the fourth meeting between the programs in as many years, and Brad Underwood’s Illini, ranked No. 3 in the preseason AP poll, will get another shot after Hurley and the Huskies have controlled the matchup so far.
The following week, on Dec. 12, Kansas comes to Gampel Pavilion for a FOX broadcast at 8 p.m.
It’s one of the most anticipated games ever at the arena, and the Jayhawks arrive with Hall of Famer Bill Self having added 24-year-old center Trey Kaufman-Renn, who was drafted in the second round by the Minnesota Timberwolves in June and made eligible for a sixth year in college by court order. Kansas also has top recruit Tyran Stokes.
UConn’s only nonconference game at Madison Square Garden lands on Dec. 20, when Virginia visits ESPN at 3 p.m. The Cavaliers are coming off a 30-win season in Ryan Odom’s first year and are ranked No. 9 in the preseason AP poll. They return four potential starters from a team that finally got past the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019, including leading scorer and rebounder Thijs De Ridder, who could be the best player in the ACC.
The Big East portion of the schedule brings its own heavyweight spots, starting with a Valentine’s Day trip to Villanova on Feb. 14.
FOX will air the noon tip in Philadelphia, where UConn and Villanova, Dan Hurley and Kevin Willard, will meet on what should feel like a national holiday. Both programs have won four national championships in the last decade, and Willard has rebuilt the Wildcats with additions like 7-3 Italian center Luigi Suigo, former Ohio State wing Devin Royal and Oregon transfer Kwame Evans Jr.
The final game on this list arrives March 2, when St. John’s comes to Peoplesbank Arena for a TNT matchup at 7:30 p.m.
The last time UConn hosted the Johnnies, it was a 72-40 blowout in which St. John’s made only 11 field goals.
Rick Pitino’s team still went on to win back-to-back dual championships in the league and make a statement in the Big East Tournament. This time, the stakes could be even higher, with the game likely to shape the conference race.
Pitino lost the frontcourt trio of Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins and Dillon Mitchell, but he brought in the No. 1 portal class in the country to reload.
In Other News...
UConn Freshmen Are Already Forcing A Rotation Shakeup
UConns incoming freshman class is giving the staff something to think about before the season even gets rolling. Colben Landrew, Junior County and Egor Amosov were brought in to add depth and upside, but each has already shown a different kind of value. Landrew brings physicality and versatility, County offers steady playmaking and defense, and Amosov arrives with a track record from European basketball that suggests he can eventually help as a shooting option.
The early read is that this group may not fit neatly into a simple developmental plan. Landrew has looked capable of forcing his way into the conversation for a larger role, while County has provided the kind of reliable presence coaches trust in exhibition settings. Amosov, meanwhile, looks like the longer-term piece of the trio, even with the kind of production that made him an intriguing addition in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Faces A Brutal Test Against One Of College Footballs Toughest Ground Games
UConn is staring at one of the toughest stylistic challenges on its schedule this week, with Air Force bringing a ground game that has frustrated defenses all season. The Huskies have been solid against the run, but this matchup is different, because the Falcons do not rely on a conventional attack and instead lean on a triple-option system that can force even disciplined defenses into a long day of tackling and assignment football.
Jason Candle said the priority is simple: slow down Air Force on the ground and keep UConns own offense steady enough to help control the tempo. That is easier said than done against a team built to wear opponents down, especially when the Falcons can keep the rushing threat coming from multiple directions and multiple quarterbacks. For UConn, the test is not just stopping one runner - it is staying sharp snap after snap against an offense that rarely gives a defense the same look twice. [Read more 🡒]
UConn Just Got Exposed In One Area Before A Huge Home Test
UConns trip to Colorado Springs offered a clear reminder of how quickly a game can tilt when an opponent controls the line of scrimmage. Air Force leaned on its ground game, kept the ball for more than 41 minutes and turned that edge into a 35-26 win, leaving the Huskies to chase the game for much of the afternoon. Even without committing a turnover, UConn could not make up for the mismatch in possession, and the loss put an uncomfortable spotlight on a defense that could not get off the field.
Kalieb Osborne gave UConn a chance by throwing for 263 yards and two touchdowns, but the offense spent too much time waiting on the sideline while Air Force dictated the pace. For a team heading into a huge home test, the concern is obvious: if the Huskies cannot slow a run-heavy attack and reclaim control of the game flow, they will keep putting pressure on their own margin for error. [Read more 🡒]