Minnesota men's basketball non-conference schedule continues to come together
The Minnesota Golden Gophers 2026-27 men’s basketball non-conference schedule continues to come together.
On Tuesday, Alex Rosinski reported three additional non-conference matchups for Minnesota, bringing the total of non-conference matchups known to six.
So far, we know:
November 2 – vs North Dakota
November 12 – vs Southern
November 16 – vs Western Illinois
November 20 and 22 – Charleston Classic (Dayton, Oklahoma State, Utah, and Virginia Tech)
December 29 – vs UTSA
Let’s take a little bit of a deeper look.
November 2 – vs North Dakota
The Fighting Hawks went 18-17 this past season, including 10-6 in Summit League action. They also had three non-Division I wins. They finished No. 271 in the NET rankings, No. 236 in the RPI.
Had notable losses last season to Alabama (91-62), Nebraska (78-55), North Dakota State (96-63, 70-62, 83-66), Hawaii (92-55), and Creighton (75-60).
Their best win was a 90-88 win over Winthrop, while also picking up wins over Saint Thomas twice.
The Gophers and Fighting Hawks notably had a scrimmage last October in which Minnesota won 80-54.
Per Rosinski, the Gophers will pay North Dakota a $95,000 guarantee for the trip to the Twin Cities.
November 12 – vs Southern
The Jaguars were 14-17 last season, including 11-7 in SWAC play. They had a quality non-conference schedule in 2025-26, ranking 105th nationally, including seven games against Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents.
They did not win Quad 1, Quad 2, or Quad 3 games, and the Gophers will firmly fall within Quad 1 and Quad 2 this season.
Lost to Arkansas 109-77, Marquette 100-82, Texas 95-69, Baylor 111-67, and Illinois 90-55, but did almost upset Washington, falling 99-93 in double overtime.
November 16 – vs Western Illinois
The Leathernecks are coming off an ugly 2025-26 season in which they were 9-19 overall, including 6-14 in Ohio Valley games. Against non-conference opponents, they were 3-5 with the 335th-ranked non-conference schedule. They also had three wins over non-Division I opponents.
Only played one opponent last year ranked within the top-100 of the NET rankings, falling to Northern Iowa 92-56 in November. They did beat South Alabama on the road 64-63 a week later.
Per Rosinski, the Gophers will pay Western Illinois $110,000 for this early season Monday night matchup.
November 20-22 – Charleston Classic
Minnesota has been reported to be part of the 2026 Charleston Classic in Charleston, South Carolina.
The Gophers are one of five teams that have committed to the November tournament, joining Dayton, Virginia Tech, Utah, and Oklahoma State.
Virginia Tech finished No. 56 in the NET rankings, Dayton at No. 66, Oklahoma State finished one spot ahead of Minnesota at No. 81, and Utah finished No. 133.
December 29 – vs UTSA
UTSA is the worst opponent Minnesota will face based on last year’s results. The Roadrunners were an ugly 5-25 in 2025-26, including 1-17 in American play.
They finished No. 332 in the RPI and No. 342 in the NET. Their wins came over two Non-Division I opponents in November, a win over Denver in November, and beating Georgia Southern and Charlotte as the season progressed.
They faced three quad one opponents in Alabama (97-55 loss), South Florida (109-88), and Tulsa (100-74). They also were blown out in all four Quad 2 games they played, losing by an average margin of 29.25 points per game.
Per Rosinski, the Gophers will pay UTSA $110,000 for the post-Christmas tune-up game before Minnesota enters the heart of their conference schedule.
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