It's been a delayed part 3 of this series. I'm fine now, but being waylaid by the flu certainly played a part in the delay. Although the rest of this series will come at you fast, hopefully the quality doesn't suffer.
Today we grade a bunch more teams including many, many Big Ten teams. Some of my biggest complaints about Big Ten basketball scheduling are featured in today's article, but there is a win in here too. One program finally succumbed to the pressure and did what the fans want.
If you missed part 1 where I accurately described the Washington Huskies as a terrible, cowardly, no good basketball program or part 2 where I discussed the annually disappointment that is Penn State's schedule and the surprisingly light Michigan State schedule then click the links below.
If you didn't miss those, you know the drill. I'm grading (and ranking) non-conference schedules. This is based on schedule difficulty, protecting rivalries, playing regional & in-state competition, and prioritizing on-campus games. A full explanation of the grading criteria is further down the article.
BoilerUp89
BoilerUp89
The Grading Rubric
The most important thing a program can do is schedule games against other top programs. Limit the cupcakes which do nothing for your NCAA tournament resume. Credit is given for any games against members of the top 6 conferences OR other programs projected to be a top 100 team this season. Credit will also be given for true road games & neutral site games against top 200 competition. Collectively these games will be referred to as "good" games.
While the majority of a team's grade is determined by the above paragraph, it should be noted that not every team is graded equally just based on the number of good games. The Big East and Big Ten play 20 game conference schedules. For a Big 12, ACC, or SEC team to have an equal number of road games for the overall season, they need to play 1 more road game than their Big East and Big Ten counterparts. The same goes for games against quality competition. Example: In their non-conference schedule, Iowa and Arkansas play one true road game and 5 "good games". Iowa is playing 1 more road game and 2 more "good" games over the course of the 32 game regular season. Iowa's going to have a better grade than Arkansas because they have less games against bad competition.
Other things being rewarded
1) A higher number of true road games. Road games are challenging and difficult to win. Playing true road games is good for the sport. Some coaches are too cowardly to play any non-conference true road game.
2) More games against out of conference rivals. Give the fans something to get excited about. People want to watch Kentucky v. Indiana, Marquette v. Wisconsin, Missouri v. Illinois. Play those games.
3) More games against in-state & regional competition. In-state mid-majors and low majors will get up for a game against big brother in a way that a mid-major or low-major from the other side of the country won't. Yes, the game might result in an embarrassing loss like Indiana State over Indiana. Or Seattle over Washington. Or Fort Wayne over Indiana. It's worth it overall. Those games get people interested in the sport and people remember them. Play those games.
Things hurting grades
1) A higher number of games against sub-300 competition. Any team with a ranking of 300 or below isn't likely to compete with a high major program. Most of those games are 40-50 point blowouts. Nobody wants to watch these. Season ticket holders hate them. One or two isn't the worst thing in the world, but programs playing three or more just hate their fans. There are 365 teams in college basketball. Don't play a quarter of your non-conference games against the bottom 65.
2) Ducking out of conference rivals. If your program has a long-standing yearly rivalry and your coach or athletic director has decided to quash that yearly tradition in order to play another cupcake, they are going to get called out in this article series.
3) An excess number of neutral site games. College basketball is special because of the student sections. Watching games being played in front of empty Las Vegas arenas instead of a rabid crowd makes me sick. Play more games on campus. Multiple team events and a marquee game (or return game) in a city that's important to one of the team's fanbases is okay, but if there are 6 neutral site games, 0 road games, and your best home game is Central Arkansas that's a problem.
4) Division 2 or NAIA games. Programs that scheduled a non-Division 1 opponent automatically receive a F. No exceptions. These games do not count on your Selection Sunday resume. Any program that schedules them is not making the most of their opportunities to add to the resume and metrics that the committee will consider. With 365 Division 1 programs in the 2026-27 season, there is no reason for any team with NCAA tournament at-large dreams to schedule these games. If you really, really want to play a former assistant coach or traditional exhibition opponent, use one of your three allowed exhibitions for that.
Not every team will get a full explanation, but I will include every team's schedule, grade, ranking within the 88 power conference teams, and some additional numbers. Opponents' preseason Torvik rankings as of Monday are included in (). Scroll til you see an embedded schedule if you just want to see the Big Ten teams.
Incomplete
Team #46 UCLA Bruins C or F
Big Ten, 12 possible non-conference games, Rady Children's
0 true road games, 4 neutral games, 8 home games
5 good games, 2? sub-300 games
Neutral: Saint Mary's (Rady, 67), Georgetown/Texas (Rady, 61/19), Arizona (Las Vegas, 2), Gonzaga (Anaheim, 8)
Home: San Diego St (58), Cal St Fullerton (198), Quinnipiac (245), Delaware (261), UC Riverside (265), Long Beach State (266), North Florida (325), TBD
I sit here writing this article with less than a week until the season starts and UCLA hasn't officially completed their non-conference schedule. It's strongly rumored that Arkansas Pine Bluff (361) will be UCLA's November 11th opponent (ESPN, Google, Ticketmaster all have them as the opponent) but UCLA has yet to formally announce this. Their official website still says TBD. If we accept that UCLA will be playing any Division 1 buy game that day, their grade is a C. If that game doesn't happen or a non-Division I opponent gets scheduled, UCLA's grade drops to a F due to AD incompetence.
Rivalry games with Arizona & Gonzaga are very nice to see. I also appreciate almost half of UCLA's non-conference being against in-state competition. However, there are no road games and with this still being an incomplete schedule one week out I'm just going to slot UCLA in at the bottom of the Cs. A more honest ranking is near the top of the Cs, but it shouldn't be this difficult to finish your homework. You've had all offseason.
Technically Better than a D, But I Have Complaints
Team #45 Notre Dame Fighting Irish C-
ACC, 14 possible non-conference games, Players Era 8
0 true road games, 4 neutral games, 10 home games
7 good games, 4 sub-300 games
Neutral: Florida (Players Era, 3), Houston/Rutgers (Players Era, 6/76), Players Era Game 3, Villanova (Rome, 31)
Home: Vanderbilt (23), The Ohio State (20), Texas Christian (53), Central Michigan (217), Long Island (252), Mercyhurst (286), Le Moyne (323), South Carolina St (333), Eastern Illinois (343), Stonehill (349)
The other half of the Players Era bracket is Kansas, UNLV, West Virginia, and Auburn. The smart money would project the Irish playing one of UNLV/West Virginia.
The Irish play the best home slate out of power conference teams with three high major teams. It's a good year to be a ND basketball season ticket holder. They also have one of the more interesting neutral site games against Villanova in front of the Pope.
However, after those games and the Players Era this non-conference schedule falls apart. Zero games against in-state competition. No wonder nobody knows Notre Dame is located in the state of Indiana. Four games against sub 300 competition.
Team #44 Rutgers Scarlet Knights C-
Big Ten, 12 possible non-conference games, Players Era 8
0 true road games, 4 neutral games, 8 home games
5 good games, 6 sub-300 games
Neutral: Houston (Players Era, 6), Florida/Notre Dame (Players Era, 3/82), Players Era Game 3, Syracuse (Brooklyn, 74)
Home: Seton Hall (71), Saint Peter's (287), Sacred Heart (306), NJIT (310), Bryant (330), New Haven (342), Delaware St (353), Army (359)
Same Players Era bracket as Notre Dame (one of UNLV/Kansas/West Virginia/Auburn will be game #3).
No true road games. Six terrible opponents. However, Rutgers beats out Notre Dame in the rankings because at least they play some in-state competition. There is the rivalry game against Seton Hall as well as games against Saint Peter's and NJIT.
I will note the absence of Princeton - I'm assuming because the Tigers have won the last two meetings. The two schools, just 17 miles apart, have played 122 times in men's basketball. Play your historic opponents. Don't be a coward.
Team #43 Louisiana State Tigers C-
SEC, 14 possible non-conference games, Acrisure Series
1 true road game, 3 neutral games, 10 home games
7 good games, 2 sub-300 games
Road: Gonzaga (8)
Neutral: Arizona St (Acrisure, 65), Southern Methodist (Acrisure, 54), Houston (Houston, 6)
Home: Wake Forest (78), High Point (88), Hofstra (157), Washington St (169), Queens (192), LSU New Orleans (211), Louisiana (221), Louisiana Tech (279), Texas Southern (328), Louisiana Monroe (334)
LSU gets credit for hosting Pac 9 Washington St even though the Cougars probably won't be very good. They also get credit for playing High Point - something most high majors are avoiding. Say what you will about Will Wade (he's a scumbag, he breaks every rule in the rulebook, etc.), but he's not afraid to schedule in-state competition: four in-state opponents are on the books! Would have been nice if Tulane was one of them though.
Team #42 Indiana Hoosiers C-
Big Ten, 12 possible non-conference games, No MTE
0 true road games, 3 neutral games, 9 home games
5 good games, 4 sub-300 games
Neutral: Arkansas (New York, 22), Kentucky (Indianapolis, 27), Syracuse (Indianapolis, 74)
Home: Missouri (29), Central Florida (50), Bowling Green (173), Jacksonville (227), Tennessee Tech (229), Bellarmine (308), Eastern Illinois (343), Fairleigh Dickinson (348), Western Illinois (360)
Okay, I know I'm a Purdue fan but I feel that this is a fair grade.
Bypassing the terrible graphic... the Hoosiers played three exhibitions this year. One at Butler. Then a second game in Indianapolis against North Carolina. Then another neutral site game in Evansville against Western Kentucky. Two thoughts: 1) All of these should be regular season games. Butler is arguably Indiana's best in-state non-conference foe, Western Kentucky is a regional program with a long history of winning basketball in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and UNC is a fellow brand name program fallen on hard times. 2) Screw the student section and season ticket holders - am I right?
Okay, on to the actual schedule. Love the Kentucky series resuming. Hate it being at a neutral site. Blame former Kentucky head coach Calipari for that all you want Indiana, but you went and scheduled another neutral site game against Calipari this year too so you've lost the moral high ground with that argument.
Did we really need TWO neutral site games in Indianapolis? Especially when you already played TWO exhibitions in Indianapolis?
Generally speaking, I don't hate most of the buy game opponents individually. I flat out just like the Bellarmine game. I have thoughts on the decision to schedule Fairleigh Dickinson, but there's another team in this article that where I can articulate that point better.
Finally, there's zero in-state programs on the non-conference schedule. That's the fifth year in a row the Hoosiers have done that (since the end of the Crossroads Classic). I don't have an issue ending that, but zero in-state opponents for five years? The last non-Crossroads Classic in-state non-conference foes for the Hoosiers came all the way back in 2018. Indiana lost to Indiana State and Fort Wayne that year. Stop being cowards.
Team #41 West Virginia Mountaineers C-
Big 12, 14 possible non-conference games, Players Era 8
1 true road game, 5 neutral games, 8 home games
7 good games, 4 sub-300 games
Road: Pittsburgh (88)
Neutral: Auburn (Players Era, 37), Kansas/UNLV (Players Era, 4/98), Players Era Game 3, North Carolina (Charlotte, 46), Wake Forest (Greensboro, 78)
Home: Virginia Tech (42), Mercer (230), Stetson (263), Mercyhurst (286), Niagara (316), Northern Arizona (317), South Carolina St (333), Coppin St (358)
Florida, Notre Dame, Houston, & Rutgers are the options for game #3 of the Players Era.
Appreciate the rivalry game with Pittsburgh. The games against Virginia Tech and the Carolina schools are intriguing and have some punch. There's plenty of slop in the buy games though.
Team #40 Georgetown Hoyas C-
Big East, 12 possible non-conference games, Rady Children's
1 true road games, 2 neutral games, 9 home games
5 good games, 7 sub-300 games
Road: Clemson (38)
Neutral: Texas (Rady, 19), Saint Mary's/UCLA (Rady, 67/25)
Home: Maryland (41), North Carolina (46), Sacred Heart (306), Navy (311), UMass Lowell (324), Loyola Maryland (345), Delaware St (353), Coppin St (358), Rider (362)
This is a small step up for Georgetown after years of poor scheduling. The buy games are horrid, but there is a true road game at Clemson and a rivalry game against Maryland to look forward to.
Team #39 Northwestern Wildcats C-
Big Ten, 12 possible non-conference games, Charleston Classic
0 true road games, 4 neutral games, 8 home games
5 good games, 3 sub-300 games
Neutral: Virginia Tech (Charleston Classic, 42), Dayton (Charleston Classic, 72), BYU (Salt Lake City, 24), Oklahoma St (Oklahoma City, 56)
Home: DePaul (64), Columbia (200), Stony Brook (223), Northeastern (249), Mercyhurst (286), Boston (298), Binghamton (335), Chicago St (351)
Apologies for the graphic. It's the only one I could find.
No road games which is a minus, but BYU and Oklahoma State might as well be roadies as I can't imagine either will be a split crowd.
Nice to see Northwestern playing their traditional rivals DePaul and Chicago Stat as well. A lot of the buy games are at least against programs that are Northwestern's peers: small enrollment, primarily private schools.
The highlight of the schedule has to be the battle of the directions. Northwestern vs. Northeastern.
Team #38 Brigham Young Cougars C-
Big 12, 14 possible non-conference games, Maui Invitational
0 true road games, 6 neutral games, 8 home games
7 good games, 1 sub-300 game
Neutral: Washington (Maui, 73), Clemson/Mississippi (Maui, 38/62), Maui Game 3, The Ohio St (Salt Lake City, 20), Northwestern (Salt Lake City, 75), San Diego St (Palm Desert, 58)
Home: Utah St (59), Montana St (135), La Salle (151), Queens (192), Cal St Fullerton (198), Northern Colorado (203), Omaha (296), Weber St (307)
The other half of the Maui bracket contains Providence, VCU, Arizona, and Colorado St. If you can figure out which one of those BYU will play in game #3 you are smarter than me.
Lots to like about who BYU is playing and the quality of their opponents. Six neutral site games is insane though and they should be shamed for it. College sports is about the student section.
Middling Schedules
Team #37 Virginia Cavaliers C
ACC, 14 possible non-conference games, Battle 4 Atlantis
1 true road game, 4 neutral games, 9 home games
7 good games, 2 sub-300 games
Road: Maryland (41)
Neutral: Marquette (Battle 4 Atlantis, 32), Xavier (Battle 4 Atlantis, 52), Arkansas (DC, 22), Connecticut (New York, 13)
Home: Northwestern (75), Kentucky (27), Western Carolina (176), Bethune Cookman (178), Old Dominion (205), Northeastern (249), Drexel (258), Loyola MD (345), Bucknell (354)
Like the game against former ACC foe Maryland. UVA also gets points for playing in-state Old Dominion.
Team #36 Oregon Ducks C
Big Ten, 12 possible non-conference games, Players Era 16
0 true road games, 5-6 neutral games, 6-7 home games
5-6 good games, 1-2 sub-300 games
Neutral: St. John's (Players Era, 18), Louisville/Texas Tech (Players Era, 9/17), Players Era Game 3, Gonzaga (Seattle, 8), Oregon St (Portland, 99)
Home: Pepperdine (141), Eastern Washington (190), Montana (208), Portland St (210), Indiana St (244), Southern (301), Mississippi Valley St (364)
Oregon is in the Players Era 16. This is the first opportunity to talk about that tragedy of empty arenas in today's article but as a reminder the Players Era 16 guarantees each team three games. The winner of each 8-team bracket will play in a fourth game. Oregon probably doesn't have to worry about that this year, but should they make a miracle run that bankrupts Vegas casinos they would need to cancel a currently scheduled buy game to make run.
There's mostly good regionality with Oregon's schedule. Unlike another Big Ten Pacific Northwest program, Oregon found a way to play their in-state rival Oregon State. They also are playing Portland St. Plus Gonzaga, Pepperdine, and Eastern Washington from neighboring states.
Oregon gets a minor hit on their grade and ranking due to an overreliance of neutral site games and lack of a road game.
Team #35 Auburn Tigers C
SEC, 14 possible non-conference games, Players Era 8
1 true road game, 5 neutral games, 8 home games
7 good games, 1 sub-300 games
Road: Clemson (38)
Neutral: West Virginia (Players Era, 48), Kansas/UNLV (Players Era, 4/98), Players Era Game 3, Wisconsin (Nashville, 47), Middle Tennessee (Huntsville, 144)
Home: Arizona (2), Lipscomb (232), Alabama St (256), Southeastern Louisiana (257), Lehigh (262), Appalachian St (268), Eastern Kentucky (295), Morgan St (344)
Players Era Game #3 is one of Florida/Notre Dame/Houston/Rutgers.
Auburn scrapes by with a C thanks in large part due to a neutral site game with Middle Tennessee. Middle Tennessee is closer to Huntsville than Auburn is so it's a true neutral.
The road game at Clemson and home game versus Arizona are really nice challenges. I'm not sure why Auburn/Wisconsin needs to be in Nashville ($), but I don't mind that game either. The buy games are a good mix of regional competition and includes an in-state Alabama St. I might have preferred a UAB or Samford matchup, but considering how low my expectations were from a Pearl head coach, this is a solid schedule.
Team #34 Missouri Tigers C
SEC, 14 possible non-conference games, No MTE
1 true road game, 5 neutral games, 8 home games
7 good games, 3 sub-300 games
Road: Indiana (26)
Neutral: Saint Louis (St. Louis, 69), Marquette (Chicago, 32), Kansas (Kansas City, 4), Nebraska (Kansas City, 15), Illinois (St. Louis, 7)
Home: Pittsburgh (88), SIU Edwardsville (259), Evansville (282), Cleveland St (288), Le Moyne (323), Chicago St (351), Alcorn St (357), Pine Bluff (361)
The good: rivalry games against former Big 8 foes Kansas and Nebraska plus Illinois.
The bad: two neutral site games in St. Louis and two neutral site games in Kansas City? Your campus is in Columbia, Missouri. Play games on campus you jokers.
Team #33 Minnesota Golden Gophers C
Big Ten, 12 possible non-conference games, Charleston Classic
1 true road game, 4 neutral games, 7 home games
5 good games, 5 sub-300 games
Road: Cincinnati (40)
Neutral: Utah (Charleston Classic, 104), Oklahoma St (Charleston Classic, 56), California (Sioux Falls, 91), Southern Methodist (Frisco Texas, 54)
Home: St. Thomas (146), Texas San Antonio (239), Southern (301), North Dakota (318), Texas Southern (328), Alcorn St (357), Western Illinois (360)
Hey, finally a team I'm tentatively planning on seeing! It's not for sure - the boss's boss is coming into town that week and wants to do a team outing the night of the Minnesota/Cincinnati game, but a) screw team outings and b) I'm tentatively planning on going with the one co-worker I'm friends with outside of work. Anyway, long story short: more teams should play games at UC, Xavier, or Dayton.
Beyond the fantastic game at Cincinnati, there is a smattering of weaker neutral site games but still challenging opponents for a team that is trying to make it back to Tournament contention for the first time in a long time. The buy games are mostly crap, but there is a game against hockey foe North Dakota and...
THEY DID IT! MINNESOTA SCHEDULED ST. THOMAS! The Tommies are the only other in-state Division 1 program and are located across the river in St. Paul. I've asked for this game to be scheduled since the Tommies joined Division 1 and it's finally happened. Despite the other flaws in this schedule, let's all give Minnesota a round of applause for scheduling 100% of their in-state Division 1 programs.
Team #32 Nebraska Cornhuskers C
Big Ten, 12 possible non-conference games, No MTE
1 true road game, 4 neutral games, 7 home games
5 good games, 5 sub-300 games
Road: Creighton (15)
Neutral: Providence (Uncasville, 55), Boise St (Sioux Falls, 87), Butler (Chicago, 89), Missouri (Kansas City, 29)
Home: Lindenwood (278), South Dakota (292), Southern (301), Mount St. Mary's (302), Le Moyne (323), New Haven (342), Fairleigh Dickinson (348)
I like that Nebraska continues to play Creighton yearly. I'm happy they are playing Missouri. The neutral site opponents are fine, but it feels a bit like Nebraska's AD just said yes anytime someone asked him if they wanted to play a neutral site game. Why play Butler in Chicago? Or Boise in Sioux Falls?
The home slate is extremely disappointing. I'd be furious as a season ticket holder and the thing is Nebrasketball has season ticket holders. The sell out a bunch of basketball games. This is a shitty way to treat those loyal fans. Do better.
Oh, and look! Another Big Ten team playing Fairleigh Dickinson. So weird how it's only Big Ten teams scheduling them as a buy opponent.
Team #31 Oklahoma State Cowboys C
Big 12, 14 possible non-conference games, Charleston Classic
1 true road game, 4 neutral games, 9 home games
7 good games, 1 sub-300 games
Road: Texas A&M (33)
Neutral: Virginia Tech (Charleston Classic, 42), Minnesota (Charleston Classic, 80), Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, 28), Northwestern (Oklahoma City, 75)
Home: Grand Canyon (43), St. Mary's (67), Central Arkansas (172), Tennessee St (184), Queens (192), Oral Roberts (250), Jackson St (274), Houston Christian (276), Incarnate Word (313)
Games against Grand Canyon and St. Mary's rescued this schedule grade. Oral Roberts and Oklahoma make for two in-state foes so that's something. I complained about this in the D-grade article, but Oklahoma/Oklahoma State should be played on campus.
Team #30 Iowa Hawkeyes C
Big Ten, 12 possible non-conference games, No MTE
1 true road game, 3 neutral games, 8 home games
5 good games, 2 sub-300 games
Road: Xavier (52)
Neutral: Virginia Tech (Sioux City, 42), Creighton (Des Moines, 44), Alabama (Des Moines, 21)
Home: Iowa St (10), Bethune Cookman (178), Lipscomb (232), Prairie View A&M (269), UMBC (271), South Dakota (292), Eastern Illinois (343), Western Illinois (360)
Another Big Ten team I'm planning to see this season as Iowa finishes out the home/home series with Xavier.
By now you should know what else I'm going to say. Why did we need two games in Des Moines? In if Iowa is willing to play in Des Moines, why not play at Drake? Why not play either or Drake/Northern Iowa at all? This is a reminder of what they took from you. A round-robin series between the four Iowa programs that started in 1979 and was played until 2012. Iowa and Iowa State used to alternate home/road games with both Drake and Northern Iowa. From 2012-2019 they continued to alternate play against the schools in a Des Moines double header called the HyVee Classic. Why did these series get canclled? Drake and Northern Iowa were the better programs from 2007-2012. Why did the double header get cancelled? Iowa and Iowa State's official reason was they didn't want to play games in Des Moines. Hmmm... seems like Iowa is okay playing in Des Moines now. Cowards.
Team #29 Xavier Musketeers C
Big East, 12 possible non-conference games, Battle 4 Atlantis
1 true road game, 3 neutral games, 8 home games
5 good games, 1 sub-300 games
Road: Cincinnati (40)
Neutral: Texas A&M (Battle 4 Atlantis, 33), Virginia (Battle 4 Atlantis, 5), Mississippi St (Greenbrier, 63)
Home: Iowa (49), Florida International (164), Eastern Michigan (167), Detroit Mercy (246), Fort Wayne (264), Cleveland St (288), Mount St. Mary's (302), Texas Southern (328)
The Crosstown shootout is always a blast. The Battle 4 Atlantis games are fine, but I'm disappointed that MTE has gone away from the traditional bracket. I flat out don't understand the game against Mississippi State being played at the Greenbrier resort. It's a vacation weekend for rich donors I guess, but choosing to play a game in a ball room that isn't part of a MTE is a poor choice.
Iowa highlights the home slate. I don't mind games against fellow Catholic schools Detroit Mercy & Mount St. Mary's. I assume the FIU game is because little Pitino got his first head coaching job there. Cleveland State is in-state. The missing games on this schedule are Miami Ohio (unlikely to happen while Travis Steele is there as he sucked as the Xavier head coach) and more importantly Dayton. Xavier/Dayton was a heated rivalry. They played in an exhibition game this October and both fanbases were chirping and celebrating scoring runs. Xavier needs to get over themselves and forgive Dayton for something that happened three head coaches ago (Dayton fans made disparaging comments about then head coach Chris Mack's wife). Play your rivals.
Team #28 Butler Bulldogs C
Big East, 12 possible non-conference games, No MTE
2 true road games, 2 neutral games, 8 home games
5 good games, 4 sub-300 games
Road: North Carolina (46), Boise St (87)
Neutral: Nebraska (Chicago, 15), Georgia Tech (Indianapolis, 112)
Home: Pittsburgh (88), Western Carolina (176), Presbyterian (235), Northeastern (249), Bellarmine (308), Lafayette (336), USC Upstate (347), Fairleigh Dickinson (348)
Oh hey, a team that scheduled FDU that isn't in the Big Ten. Oh, it's an in-state foe of Purdue's. Of course.
There's two true road games and good opponents in Nebraska, Georgia Tech, and Pitt. The buy games are pretty terrible and there is a noticeable lack of in-state programs.
Team #27 The Ohio State Buckeyes C
Big Ten, 12 possible non-conference games, No MTE
2 true road games, 2 neutral games, 8 home games
5 good games, 1 sub-300 games
Road: Connecticut (13), Notre Dame (82)
Neutral: BYU (Salt Lake City, 24), Kansas (New York, 4)
Home: Vanderbilt (23), Stony Brook (223), Lipscomb (232), Prairie View A&M (269), UMBC (271), Marshall (289), Youngstown St (290), Mississippi Valley St (364)
The Ohio State Buckeyes play the worst in-state foe possible. No games against UC, Xavier, or Dayton. No games against Miami Ohio, Ohio, Akron, Kent State, Toledo, or Bowling Green. Not even a game against Wright State. The Buckeyes refuse to play any in-state program they might have a chance to lose to. It's not like Ohio State doesn't know that these games would be popular. They have played Dayton or Cincinnati in charity exhibitions the past two years. But note that those are games that "don't count" so when the Buckeyes lose it isn't a big deal.
As nice as the two road games are and the overall caliber of their good games, the Buckeyes continued avoidance of in-state programs is a huge shame.
Almost Good Scheduling
Team #26 Tennessee Volunteers C+
SEC, 14 possible non-conference games, Players Era 16
1 true road game, 4-5 neutral games, 8-9 home games
7 good games, 2 sub-300 games
Road: Purdue (30)
Neutral: Maryland (Players Era, 41), San Diego St/Iowa St (Players Era, 58/10), Players Era Game 3, North Carolina St (Nashville, 34)
Home: Michigan St (11), Florida St (60), Tennessee St (184), Marist (214), Coastal Carolina (228), Wofford (277), Radford (283), Morehead St (314), Norfolk St (332)
Tennessee's eight team Players Era 16 bracket also includes Oregon, St. John's, Louisville, and Tech Texas. The two home/home series paired with the ACC/SEC challenge game against FSU make this a compelling schedule. It would be nice to see Memphis, but Tennessee has Tennessee St instead plus a bunch of buy games against teams from neighboring states. Solid schedule.
Team #25 Pittsburgh Panthers C+
ACC, 14 possible non-conference games, Fort Myers
3 true road game, 4 neutral games, 7 home games
7 good games, 2 sub-300 games
Road: Butler (89), Missouri (29), Villanova (31)
Neutral: Oklahoma (Fort Myers, 28), DePaul (Fort Myers, 64), West Virginia (Pittsburgh, 48), Penn St (Philadelphia, 100)
Home: Tarleton St (145), Buffalo (195), Georgia St (216), Central Michigan (217), Drexel (258), Cleveland St (288), Rider (362)
Three road games plus rivalries against West Virginia and Penn State. It would be nice if those rivalries were on campus, but ... waves vaguely at 2026 college basketball.
Team #24 Illinois Fighting Illini C+
Big Ten, 12 possible non-conference games, No MTE
2 true road game, 3 neutral games, 7 home games
5 good games, 2 sub-300 games
Road: Duke (1), Texas Tech (17)
Neutral: Connecticut (Chicago, 13), Missouri (St. Louis, 29), North Carolina (Nashville, 46)
Home: Western Kentucky (105), Penn (118), Seattle (133), Sam Houston (182), Winthrop (233), Eastern Illinois (343), Fairleigh Dickinson (348)
This is a great schedule in many ways. Two road games where Illinois will be expected to lose. A rivalry game against Missouri. A neutral site game against a team that recently went on a 30-0 run against Illinois in the NCAA Tournament and then beat them in the Final Four two years later. Good buy games against Western Kentucky, angry Fran with Penn, and Seattle. With all of that, why didn't this schedule get the bump to the B- level despite there only being 5 games against high majors/top 100 competition?
Well, the first reason is that Eastern Illinois is the only in-state foe for the Illini. They won't play any of the semi-decent in-state programs like DePaul, Loyola Chicago, Bradley, or Illinois State. They are playing the dregs of the state in Eastern Illinois.
The bigger problem I have with Illinois is their continued trolling of Purdue. For the second time in four seasons since FDU shocked the world, Illinois is hosting them. Here's where I remind Illinois (and Nebraska) that they couldn't do what FDU did. Both of them lost to Purdue in the 2023 season. And while I understand the temptation to mock Purdue for losing as a 1 seed, I'll point out that Illinois also failed to make it out of the 1st round that season while Nebraska didn't even make the NCAA Tournament. Indiana did beat Purdue that season (twice, actually) and advanced to the Round of 32 so I'll just point out that the Hoosiers haven't made the Sweet 16 since 2016 and fumbled the bag with Mike Woodson/Dusty May thanks in part due to that 2023 season.
Next Article
We get to the B-/B/B+ graded schedules. Hopefully tomorrow. No later than Thursday. There are 23 teams left and only 5 received As. Any guesses as to who?
Let me know which games you are interested in from today's Big Ten slates and feel free to guess in the comments which Big Ten teams will be included in the B graded article.
Basketball season is approaching! See you soon.
