Next year’s schedule is slowly coming together for the University of Utah men’s basketball team.
In addition to a variety of reports on nonconference matchups, last week the Big 12 announced its scheduling matrix for the 2026-27 season — giving a glimpse at who the Runnin’ Utes will play in their 18-game conference schedule.
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While there is still plenty to be set in stone, here’s a look at how Utah’s schedule is shaping up for the second season under head coach Alex Jensen.
Utah basketball’s 2026-27 nonconference schedule
Based on various insider reports, here’s a look at where Utah’s nonconference schedule stands. The University of Utah hasn’t officially announced its nonconference schedule — last offseason, the school announced this portion of the schedule in mid-August.
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Nov. 17 — vs. Eastern Washington, Huntsman Center (via Rosinski)
Beginning with the 2026-27 campaign, college basketball teams can play 32 games during the regular season.
Given that the Big 12 is playing an 18-game conference schedule and there are already 10 reported nonconference contests scheduled for the Utes, that leaves room for potentially four other nonconference games on Utah’s schedule.
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There are already a handful of games outside of conference play that will allow Utah to show growth after the program finished last in the Big 12 a season ago.
In late May, CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported that six of the eight teams playing in this year’s Charleston Classic will be Utah, fellow Big 12 school Oklahoma State, Dayton (A-10), Northwestern (Big Ten), Minnesota (Big Ten) and Virginia Tech (ACC), with the other two spots still to be determined.
There will be two four-team pods at the Charleston Classic, which is typically played the weekend before Thanksgiving, and each team will play two games.
The Charleston Classic will serve as a solid gauge for how Utah, heading into its third season in the Big 12, matches up again power conference competition.
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There are two other power league opponents reportedly on the Utes’ nonconference schedule at this point as well — California and Washington are both reportedly headed to the Huntsman Center in a return contest of a home-and-home series between Utah and each of the two schools.
The Golden Bears, led by former Utah Valley coach Mark Madsen, went 22-12 last season, ended the year No. 72 in the NET rankings and played in the NIT. Cal beat Utah 79-72 in Berkeley in early December.
The Huskies, under former Utah State coach Danny Sprinkle, went 16-17 a year ago, which included beating the Utes 74-65 in Seattle in late December.
Among other nonconference opponents, Utah will reportedly host Weber State for a second straight season. The Utes had to rally to beat Weber State in overtime at the Huntsman last year, and this offseason, Utah added Wildcats transfer big man Malek Gomma.
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Two of the most recent reports regarding Utah’s nonconference games include a contest against in-state rival Southern Utah — the two schools’ first meeting in three years — and a fourth straight season hosting Eastern Washington.
Utah basketball’s 2026-27 Big 12 schedule
While dates and times for each of the Utes’ 18 regular-season Big 12 conference games will be released at a later date, the program’s conference opponents for the 2026-27 season were announced last week.
Utes’ Big 12 home games
Utes’ Big 12 road games
Utah will face BYU, Colorado and Oklahoma State twice, as the only three Big 12 teams it will play home-and-home contests against.
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After sweeping the Utes last year, the Cougars, who lost in the NCAA Tournament’s first round against Texas in the 2025-26 season, are on a three-game winning streak against their rival. Before that, though, Utah had beaten BYU two straight years at the Huntsman Center.
Two teams who made the NCAAs last year, Kansas and Texas Tech, will also come to the Huntsman — the last time the Jayhawks made their way to Salt Lake City, Utah upset Kansas in Craig Smith’s final season two years ago.
The majority of the Utes’ Big 12 road games will come against programs that made the NCAA Tournament a year ago and are among the teams expected to represent the league in the NCAAs yet again.
That includes a road game against Arizona, which advanced to the Final Four last season.
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Six of Utah’s nine Big 12 road games come against schools who made the NCAA Tournament last year, a group that also includes Houston, Iowa State, TCU and UCF.
In two years playing in the Big 12, Utah has won just two road conference games — last year at West Virginia, and two seasons ago against TCU.
The Utes are coming off a year where they went 10-22 overall and 2-16 in league play in Jensen’s first season as coach — that includes marks of 1-8 at home in Big 12 action and 1-8 on the road.
Through two seasons in the league, Utah has gone 10-28 in conference regular-season play — 8-11 at home and 2-17 on the road — while being winless in its two league tournament appearances.
