UConn’s non-conference calendar is now complete, and the final additions are the kind that make the rest of the slate look even more punishing by comparison.
The Huskies already had the heavyweight stuff lined up: Michigan in a national championship rematch, Illinois and Arizona as Final Four participants, Duke in an Elite Eight rematch, plus Ohio State, Virginia and Kansas. On Thursday, the last pieces fell into place, and the full picture became clear.
UConn will host Wagner on Nov. 9, Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 8 and Delaware State on Dec. 15.
Those three games should give Dan Hurley’s team what amount to the softer landing spots on an otherwise brutal schedule. The expectation is that they’ll be chances to get veterans some rest and give younger players more run, though nothing is automatic in college basketball.
Wagner went 14-17 last season and finished 8-10 in Northeast Conference play before losing to Long Island University in the semifinals of the league tournament. The Seahawks also saw how they stacked up against major-conference opponents, losing 103-74 to VCU, 68-61 to Seton Hall, 92-75 to Georgetown and 89-63 to Maryland.
Mississippi Valley State, known as the Delta Devils, had an even tougher year. They finished 3-30 overall and 2-16 in SWAC play, and their non-conference results included a 120-84 loss to Texas A&M, a 108-49 defeat to Kansas State, a 96-49 loss to Florida State, an 86-51 setback against West Virginia and a 93-69 defeat to Oklahoma.
UConn’s exhibition schedule is already on the board as well. The Huskies open against Syracuse at Mohegan Sun on Oct. 13, then travel to Michigan State on Oct. 20 before facing Purdue on Oct. 27.
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Ryan Manalacs group has also spent camp adjusting to a different look, one that asks the front to take on more responsibility than it did before. That puts immediate pressure on the players expected to anchor the unit, including Avery Dunn, Ty Chan, KVon Sherman and John Lista, as UConn looks for its newest version of the defense to show it can hold up when the season starts for real. [Read more 🡒]
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UConns Brutal Nonconference Schedule Just Added Another Huge Test
UConns nonconference calendar keeps getting tougher, and the latest addition only reinforces how demanding that early stretch is going to be. The Huskies and Virginia have officially lined up a meeting in New York, adding another high-profile neutral-site game to a schedule that already looks built to test UConn before league play even starts.
The matchup is set for Madison Square Garden during the 2026-27 season, giving both programs another chance to add a notable chapter to a series that has already carried real weight in past meetings. Virginia coach Ryan Odom sounded eager about the opportunity, and for UConn, it is another reminder that the path through November and December may be as unforgiving as any in the country. [Read more 🡒]