I originally meant to complete this series before basketball season started. I missed that by one game. Today we are talking about the five best scheduling programs in power conference basketball. The five fanbases that have minimal complains when it comes to who they are playing. College basketball is a regional sport with a national championship format. Embracing that regionality, playing rivals and local programs makes the months of November and December so much more interesting. Each of these programs have done that and scheduled as many or more interesting games than everyone other than UConn.
There's one Big Ten team left that hadn't been graded before today. Will Michigan take the top spot? Will they get the first ever A+ scheduling grade I've handed out in four years of doing this? Scroll down to find out.
This is part 5. If you missed parts 1 through 4, 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.
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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 today are included in (). Scroll til you see an embedded schedule if you just want to see the Big Ten teams.
Really Good Schedules
Team #5 Villanova Wildcats A-
Big East, 12 possible non-conference games, No MTE
3 true road games, 2 neutral games, 7 home games
7 good games, 4 sub-300 games
Road: Pittsburgh (88), Kansas (4), Temple (126)
Neutral: Notre Dame (Rome, 81), TBD Big Five Game (Philadelphia)
Home: Michigan (14), Wisconsin (45), La Salle (150), Holy Cross (331), Fairleigh Dickinson (348), Coppin St (358), Rider (362)
Villanova is already 0-1 after starting the season in the Eternal City against Notre Dame and losing. Honestly, they had many, many opportunities to put that game away but let the Irish stick around. The Eternal City Classic was a tremendous event and marketing opportunity for Villanova. While I typically dislike neutral site games, two Catholic schools with ties to the Pope (Villanova's ties are closer) playing in Rome and having an audience with the Pope was pretty cool.
Villanova also plays in-state foe Pittsburgh and (for this year) is still participating in the Philadelphia Big Five. The Wildcats have announced they aren't going to continue in the Big Five and I'm incredibly sad that another great basketball event will be significantly changing. For those that don't know, Philadelphia's Big Five programs (Temple, St. Joes, La Salle, Penn, and Villanova) historically played a round robin schedule. In recent years they've added Drexel and split the event into two three-team brackets with each team playing one home and one road game before a triple header in Philadelphia to wrap it up.
Overall, Villanova's three road games ties for the most in the power five with Pittsburgh and Vanderbilt, but considering the Big East has one more road conference game, Villanova is playing the most true road games in the season this year out of any power conference team.
Team #4 Providence Friars A-
Big East, 12 possible non-conference games, Maui
1 true road game, 5 neutral games, 6 home games
7 good games, 4 sub-300 games
Road: Rhode Island (142)
Neutral: VCU (Maui, 56), Arizona/Colorado St (Maui, 2/84), Maui Game 3, Nebraska (Mohegan Sun, 15), Syracuse (Boston, 72)
Home: Colorado (86), Fairfield (234), Sacred Heart (313), Bryant (333), Maine (335), Stonehill (352)
The third Maui game will be one of Clemson, Mississippi, BYU, and Washington.
Credit to Providence for continuing to play a home and home series with Rhode Island. It would be so easy for the Friars to do what so many other power conference programs have done and just throw over decades of tradition.
The buy games aren't much to write home about but over half of this schedule is legitimately challenging and at least all the buy games are against local teams. Note to teams that are scared of playing too challenging a schedule. Be like Providence. Schedule regionally, play some rivals, and then schedule a MTE where you will end up playing to your talent level. Incredibly well designed schedule.
Team #3 Creighton Bluejays A-
Big East, 12 possible non-conference games, Players Era 16
1 true road game, 4-5 neutral games, 6-7 home games
7-8 good games, 2 sub-300 games
Road: Kansas St (82)
Neutral: Michigan (Players Era, 14), TCU/Miami Florida (Players Era, 53/12), Players Era Game 3, Iowa (Des Moines, 48)
Home: Gonzaga (8), Nebraska (15), Bethune Cookman (183), Oral Roberts (248), Mount St. Mary's (298), Kansas City (302), Le Moyne (322)
Game 3 in the Players Era 16 will be one of Gonzaga, Kansas St, Baylor, and Alabama. You'll note that Creighton is already playing Gonzaga and Creighton so there may be a double play. In case you skipping the previous four articles in this series, only the two 3-0 teams in the 16 team bracket will play a 4th game in Vegas.
Pretty challenging schedule and there is real upside available for Creighton here.
Runner Up
Team #2 Alabama Crimson Tide A
SEC, 14 possible non-conference games, Players Era 16
2 true road games, 6-7 neutral games, 5-6 home games
9-10 good games, 0 sub-300 games
Road: Miami Florida (12), South Florida (94)
Neutral: Baylor (Players Era, 46), Gonzaga/Kansas St (Players Era, 8/82), Players Era Game 3, Houston (New York, 6), St. John's (Birmingham, 33), Iowa (Des Moines, 48)
Home: Seton Hall (71), Kennesaw St (146), Sam Houston (159), Arkansas St (168), Oakland (223), Samford (230)
Alabama has taken the step of announcing that the Samford game will be cancelled if they make the Players Era championship. Game three will be from Gonzaga's portion of the bracket and includes a possible rematch against Miami Florida.
Excellent schedule with two minor quibbles preventing it from being an A+.
One too many neutral site games. I understand the Players Era tournament, game in Birmingham, and neutral against Iowa in Des Moines. But why are you playing Houston in New York?
The other issue the lack of in-state competition. Samford is on the slate but that one might get cancelled if Alabama goes 3-0 to start in Vegas (possible). Even with Samford, missing a game against in-state foes. There are 7 other programs that would love a trip to Tuscaloosa.
This Year's Best Schedule Belongs to...
Team #1 Michigan Wolverines A+
Big Ten, 12 possible non-conference games, Players Era 16
1 true road games, 5-6 neutral games, 5-6 home games
7-8 good games, 0-1 sub-300 games
Road: Villanova (28)
Neutral: Creighton (Players Era, 44), TCU/Miami Florida (Players Era, 53/12), Players Era Game 3, Connecticut (Boston, 13), Louisville (Detroit, 9)
Home: Marquette (29), Toledo (151), William & Mary (201), Oakland (223), Detroit Mercy (245), Mississippi Valley St (364)
Game 3 in the Players Era 16 will be one of Gonzaga, Kansas St, Baylor, and Alabama.
This is how teams should schedule. There's a true road game at Villanova. An MTE. A "home" neutral game in the city most important to Michigan for recruiting. A "road" neutral game that will probably be a return trip to Detroit next year. A home game against a power conference program across Lake Michigan.
Then we get to the buy games. Toledo, Oakland, and Detroit Mercy. All three of those programs will be excited to play Michigan because Michigan is the name brand program closest to them.
The only possible complaint is Mississippi Valley St - a game that Michigan appears to have been forced into scheduling thanks to their participation in the Players Era 16. The Wolverines need a program they can cancel on if they repeat what they did in Vegas last year. The Delta Devils won't lose any sleep if it happens to them.
What's Next
Big Ten basketball starts tomorrow. Unfortunately Notre Dame is currently the only team in the country with a winning percentage of 100%. See you soon.
