College basketball season technically begins later this month, if you can believe it.
Exhibition play tips off as early as October, and a handful of Power Four matchups will define the early slate as we cruise through the first lap of Big 12 football and, by November, begin hinting at our favorite college basketball invitationals and events from Hawaii, Chicago and New York City. It’s a magical time of year, November and December, when you get the best of both worlds.
The Big 12 Conference enters the Power Four picture as arguably the best league in the country, and three of the league’s key programs feature some of the toughest non-conference asks in recent memory.
Here’s a look at Big 12 men’s basketball’s toughest non-conference schedules:
ARIZONA
Reaching a long-term deal with Tommy Lloyd, the Arizona Wildcats return as a legitimate national title contender following a 36-win campaign as the Big 12 regular-season and tournament champions, and delivering the program’s first Final Four appearance in 25 years on the backs of NBA Draft selections Koa Peat, Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley.
Star center Motiejus Krivas, standing at 7-foot-2 and averaging 8.2 boards per game last season, finds himself as the team’s senior anchor entering arguably the toughest non-conference schedule in the Big 12 and perhaps around the country.
In August, Arizona participated in the Lithuanian Summer Tour, finishing 2-1 overall, including two wins against the Ukraine Senior National Team. They’ll host Chris Gerlufsen and San Francisco in an exhibition matchup on Tuesday, Oct. 13, and tip off the regular season officially at home against San Diego State on Friday, Oct. 16.
It’s not a pushover slate from there, with key tests against UCLA (Nov. 2) in Las Vegas, Auburn (Nov. 13) on the road, UConn (Nov. 18). at home, and a trip to Lahaina, Hawaii, for the 2026 Maui Invitational featuring a first-round matchup with Colorado State (Nov. 23) in a bracket containing Providence and VCU on the other side; The north side of the bracket includes Ole Miss, Clemson, Washington and Big 12 foe BYU.
Arizona closes its non-conference schedule with key dates against St. John’s (Dec. 5) at Madison Square Garden in New York City, and Arkansas (Dec. 19) in the Hall of Fame Series in Phoenix. That’s one tough calendar.
KANSAS
If you’re Bill Self, you’re entering the fray a bit more optimistic about the Kansas Jayhawks than you might’ve been two weeks ago.
Recent rulings declared both guards, Tre White and Melvin Council Jr., previously considered ineligible under the NCAA 5-for-5 eligibility policy adopted earlier this year, received the nod to play ball by separate judges this month. While the association is still pursuing a path that’d render those decisions void, Self and Kansas have publicly signaled both players are eligible and that they’re expecting both to return as Jayhawks for the 2026-27 regular season.
Suddenly, Kansas has some familiar veterans around highly-touted newcomers Tyran Stokes and Taylen Kinney. Previously, Kohl Rosario and Paul Mbyia were the only Jayhawks to return from last year’s roster; Forward Keanu Dawes came from Utah, and 7-foot-2 center Christian Reeves came over from Charleston.
Following a home exhibition against Division II Pittsburg State (Oct. 16), the Jayhawks will host Pat Kelsey and Louisville (Oct. 21) at Allen Fieldhouse; They’ll host the Duke Blue Devils that same Sunday, Oct. 25, before easing off with Fordham (Nov. 2) after beginning the regular season with quite the one-two punch from the ACC.
Self and Kansas get Kentucky (Nov. 10) as part of the Champions Classic in Chicago, and then travel to Las Vegas for another run in the Players Era Festival with a first-round matchup against UNLV. From there, Kansas gets Villanova (Nov. 27) for another marquee matchup in Lawrence, then begins December with Missouri (Dec. 6), UConn (Dec. 12), and Ohio State (Dec. 19).
Kansas has plenty of bookend matchups, keeping its non-conference schedule tested entering its Big 12 opener against West Virginia (Jan. 2), and some opportunities to build out its starting lineup with big-time games at home and trips across the country as it takes part in the national hoops stage. Will a suddenly emboldened roster rise to those big contests, or will Kansas enter league play with everything to prove coming off a string of disappointing finishes since its 2022 national title run?
TEXAS TECH
Grant McCasland and the Texas Tech Red Raiders were quite selective in adding Hofstra’s Cruz Davis, UNLV’s Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn and Wyoming’s Damarion Dennis to replenish their guard play and provide star returning forward JT Toppin with the experience required up top to ensure his long-term health following a major setback late in February before the NCAA Tourney.
Fifth-year returning guard Donovan Atwell and UCF transfer forward Jamichael Stillwell are part of the team’s official roster, but are still pursuing fifth-year eligibility through their individual cases. Both players remain uncertain as the season approaches, and much of the country waits to see whether schools admitting ineligible players will receive consequences or fines for doing so.
Still, Texas Tech is a team with experience via its returning roster and the portal, as McCasland’s defense-first philosophy makes the Red Raiders another contender in the Big 12.
Later this month, Texas Tech travels to Kentucky (Oct. 23) for an exhibition contest before opening the regular season by hosting Jackson State (Nov. 2). Next the Red Raiders take on Illinois (Nov. 10) at home and hit the road for Las Vegas to meet Louisville (Nov. 24) in the opening round; Oregon or St. John’s await them in the next round; Tennessee, Maryland, San Diego State, or Big 12 foe Iowa State are all possible opponents down the line that week.
Texas Tech and USC (Dec. 13) collide in Fort Worth, Texas, followed by a trip to New York City to take on Duke (Dec. 21) at Madison Square Garden.
