The Gophers appear to be adding a notable power conference matchup to their men’s basketball non-conference schedule this year. They’re finalizing an agreement to play California at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD, on November 28, according to college hoops reporter Rocco Miller.
The 28th is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Gophers won’t be participating in a multi-team event that weekend (they’ll be doing so the prior weekend), but fans will have an opportunity to watch Niko Medved’s team in an important game during a big holiday weekend for college basketball.
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Here’s a look at all of the Gophers’ unofficial non-conference matchups so far.
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Nov. 6: vs. St. Thomas (MN)
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Nov. 16: vs. Western Illinois
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Nov. 20 and 22: Charleston Classic event (neutral site)
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Nov. 28: vs. California (neutral site)
Between those eight games and 20 Big Ten games, the Gophers have up to four spots remaining on their schedule. Teams are allowed to play 32 games starting this season, up from 31 in previous years. This Cal matchup ensures the Gophers will have at least three power conference games in their non-con slate, with all of them currently coming in a nine-day span in late November.
Cal took a step forward last season in year three under head coach Mark Madsen. After winning 13 and 14 games in Madsen’s first two years, the Golden Bears went 22-12 last season, including a win over UCLA in non-conference play and a 9-9 record in the ACC. They were a 2 seed in the NIT and narrowly lost to St. Joseph’s in the second round.
However, as is the case for many programs in today’s era of college basketball, Cal will be breaking in a new-look roster in 2026-27. Their leading scorer from last season, Dai Dai Ames, transferred to Tennessee. Among their three other top scorers, Justin Pippen transferred to Ohio State and two players (Chris Bell and John Camden) exhausted their eligibility. Their top returner is big man Lee Dort, who averaged 8 points and 8 rebounds last year.
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Madsen picked up a handful of solid transfers this offseason, highlighted by the Georgia duo of point guard Jordan Ross and wing Jake Wilkins (the son of Dominique). They’re joined by Nojus Indrusaitis (Pitt), Amier Ali (Mississippi State), and Michael Cooper (Wright State).
This will be the fifth time the Gophers have played at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. They’re 1-3 at the venue, including a loss to San Francisco last year. They also lost to Oklahoma State there in 2015, beat Vanderbilt in 2016, and lost to Oklahoma in 2019.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/minnesota as Gophers Adding ACC Matchup in Sioux Falls to Non-Conference Schedule.
