What we know about IU basketball’s 2026-27 non-conference schedule

Photos of IU basketball vs. Baylor at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on October 26, 2025.

IU basketball’s 2026-27 non-conference schedule is still being put together, but five opponents have already been revealed.

In addition to those opponents, rule changes could see the Hoosiers play an additional regular-season game and an additional exhibition game next season.

Here’s what we know so far about IU’s non-conference schedule for next season, along with some recent comments from coach Darian DeVries about the scheduling process in the current college basketball landscape:

• For the first time since 2006, the limit on the number of non-conference games is increasing. The previous limit of 11 is changing to 12 and with the chance for more revenue, it’ll be a surprise if most programs throughout the sport don’t add the additional game.

• Programs are now also permitted to play a third exhibition game. With the opportunity to add an exhibition game at a neutral site – where more NIL money could be generated than with a home game – the expectation is that most programs at the power conference level will take advantage of the additional exhibition. Last fall, IU played an exhibition against Baylor at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in late October.

• Three “buy” or “guarantee” game opponents have been revealed with Eastern Illinois (November 2), Bellarmine (November 5) and Bowling Green (November 27) coming to Bloomington.

• The second contest in a four-game series against Kentucky will be played on Friday, November 20, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The neutral floor matchup will be a rare Friday night CBS broadcast. The final two games in the series in 2027 and 2028 are scheduled to be played in Rupp Arena and Assembly Hall.

• Indiana will play Syracuse on Monday, November 9, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The Orange underwent a coaching change in the offseason as Adrian Autry was fired and Siena’s Gerry McNamara, a Syracuse alum, was hired to replace him.

• The expectation is IU will have a home game against a power conference opponent as it has in the last two seasons. Indiana played South Carolina in 2024 in Bloomington and then hosted Kansas State in 2025.

• It also won’t be a surprise if the Hoosiers play another neutral court game (or two). DeVries said on Wednesday night at Huber’s that the program is still working on a few games for next season’s schedule.

• Here’s what DeVries said on Wednesday in Borden, Indiana, on scheduling for next season and beyond:

On where things stand with the non-conference schedule:

“I’m not sure what’s all been officially released yet, but I know there’s a game or two we’re still working on. I think the non-conference schedule will have some high-quality opponents in there that will be great for us, some good early-season tests, even some of the exhibition games or so. I think that’s going to get us ready.

“When you’ve got a 20-game Big Ten schedule, plenty of quality opponents in that. But I do think we’ve got some good early tests that will be great for us to kind of see where we’re at and challenge us early in those early November games.”

On the challenge of getting good home-and-homes and the shift towards more neutral court games in college basketball:

“I think it’s more challenging just because, as you mentioned, the neutral sites are kind of taking the place of a lot of the MTEs just because there are opportunities for NIL. So you’re seeing a lot of schools have to go to that and want to go to that to help support kind of the NIL piece of it and the component of it.

“So there are a lot more factors that go into just scheduling a game anymore and we’re involved with some things possibly moving forward, too, that we want to remain flexible on to make sure that we’re in the best position there that we can be as well. So, yeah, it’s certainly different scheduling non-conference than it used to be.”

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