The Northwestern Wildcats are seeking a return to NCAA Tournament magic this season under coach Chris Collins after missing out on the Big Dance last season.
Collins brought in two freshmen and eight transfers to revitalize and replenish the Wildcats basketball team’s roster this offseason and is busy molding and teaching his team on the practice court.
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On Wednesday, the Wildcats announced their 2026 non-conference basketball schedule, and it’s an intriguing one with several well known teams on the schedule and a pre-conference tournament that will put Collins’ roster to the test.
Mar 12, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Angelo Ciaravino (44) dunks the ball against the Purdue Boilermakers during the first half at United Center. Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
The Binghampton Bearcats and Stony Brook Seawolves are the Wildcats’ first 2026 regular season opponents on Nov. 2 and Nov. 8, respectively, leading up to the Charleston Classic preseason tournament on Nov. 22 in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.
Aside from the Charleston Classic, the schedule includes two neutral site games, against 2026 number one overall NBA Draft pick AJ Dybantsa‘s alma mater BYU and Oklahoma State, and eight home games, concluding against Chicago State on Dec. 29.
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The schedule is as follows:
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Nov. 2: vs. Binghampton
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Nov. 8: vs. Stony Brook
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Nov. 9: vs. Boston University
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Nov. 20-22: Charleston Classic
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Nov. 27: vs. Northeastern
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Dec. 5: at BYU (Salt Lake City, Utah)
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Dec. 16: vs. Mercyhurst
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Dec. 20: vs. Oklahoma State (Tulsa, Oklahoma)
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Dec. 29: vs. Chicago St.
The Wildcats’ non-conference schedule looks manageable, and Northwestern should be favored in the majority of their games which should put them in a good position record-wise heading into the Big Ten portion of their schedule.
What the Wildcats’ non-conference schedule lacks in big name opponents, the team’s Big Ten schedule will make up for this year as the league is expected to be one of if not the best basketball conferences nationally.
A recent ESPN bracketology compilation left the Wildcats on the outside looking in of the 2026-27 Big Dance while 12 Big Ten teams were included in the field.
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Top Big Ten teams include Illinois, which added five-star prospect Quentin Coleman this offseason; Michigan, which added Tennessee star big man JP Estrella and retained NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Elliot Cadeau; and Michigan State, which retained star lead guard Jeremy Fears and high-flying small forward Coen Carr.
Northwestern will once again be tasked with winning games the old fashioned way, through cohesive team play, hard-nosed effort plays, and buying into coach Collins’ system the way they have in the recent past.
Collins has shown he can mold young, overlooked players into stars, including NBA players Nick Martinelli and Brooks Barnhizer.
This season will be another test that the confident Wildcats head coach hopes to pass as his program continues its march toward what fans hope will be another winning season.
