Wisconsin men’s basketball had a few early tests in its 2025-26 nonconference schedule.
The BYU, TCU and Villanova losses each were Quad 1 games. The Providence win was a Quad 2 result. The Marquette win was not as much of a test as it would have been in past years, though, considering the Golden Eagles’ uncharacteristic 2025-26 woes.
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Looking ahead, Wisconsin’s 2026-27 schedule still has several question marks, but the Badgers appear to have at least a few potential challenges looming in the nonconference slate.
Here is what we know (and don’t know yet) about the 2026-27 schedule, as of May 18:
Which opponents are on Wisconsin’s nonconference schedule so far?
The Journal Sentinel obtained the contracts for Wisconsin’s games against Marquette on Dec. 5 and Auburn on Dec. 19. The Marquette game will be on the road at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, and the Auburn game will be at a neutral site at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
UW responded to a May 12 public records request saying there were no other game contracts signed yet for the 2026-27 season. But at least one more nonconference game is known, even if the date has not been announced yet.
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As part of the contract for last year’s game against Villanova at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, the Badgers will play Villanova in 2026-27 at a “mutually agreeable venue near the home campus” of the Wildcats. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports reported in 2025 that the return game will be at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
All three games could potentially be Quad 1 opportunities. Villanova reached the NCAA Tournament in Kevin Willard’s first season at the helm, and Auburn won the NIT title after its March Madness snub. Marquette retained several key players while using the transfer portal.
With a 32-game maximum taking effect in 2026-27 and an 18-game Big Ten schedule, that theoretically leaves UW with another nine nonconference games to announce this summer.
Villanova coach Kevin Willard, left, talks with Wisconsin coach Greg Gard before their game Dec. 19, 2025, at Fiserv Forum. The two teams will meet again next season, this time with the Badgers on the road.
What do we know about Wisconsin’s 2026-27 Big Ten schedule?
The Big Ten unveiled each team’s home and away opponents for the 2026-27 conference slate. (Specific dates for UW’s 18 conference games will be announced at a later date. In the case of the 2025-26 schedule, that happened on Sept. 18.)
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Wisconsin will play Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue and Washington exclusively at the Kohl Center. UW will play Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA and USC on the road.
Border-state rivals Minnesota, Iowa and Illinois will play the Badgers both at home and on the road. The Gophers have been a two-play foe in each season since the conference’s expansion to 18 teams.
It may be a relatively challenging set of two-play opponents considering that Iowa is coming off an Elite Eight appearance and Illinois is coming off a Final Four appearance. Illinois appears to have the talent necessary to be a national contender again in 2026-27 although Iowa could potentially need to replace its top three scorers.
But the Badgers have the benefit of avoiding some challenging Big Ten venues such as Assembly Hall, Pinnacle Bank Arena and Mackey Arena.
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More: Does Wisconsin basketball have enough money? What Greg Gard, Marcus Sedberry think
Wisconsin basketball’s 2026-27 schedule: Games we know so far
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Dec. 5 at Marquette (Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee)
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Dec. 19 vs. Auburn (Bridgestone Arena in Nashville)
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TBD vs. Villanova (near Villanova’s campus)
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Big Ten games only at home: Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, Washington
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Big Ten games only on the road: Maryland, Michigan State, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
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Big Ten two-play opponents (both home and away): Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Who will Wisconsin basketball play in 2026-27 | What we know so far
