BYU Basketball Builds Excitement With Major Schedule Announcements
BYU men's basketball is building a non-conference schedule to match the program's high expectations for the 2025-26 season.
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Athletic Director Brian Santiago announced at BYU's Fathers and Sons Basketball Camp that the Cougars will face North Carolina in an exhibition game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. The game will reportedly be in late October and will be the second of BYU's two preseason exhibitions. The Cougars will also travel to Nebraska as part of a home-and-home exhibition series.
New NCAA rule allowing schools to play two Division I teams in public, televised exhibitions. As it stood previously, exhibitions were either closed to fans or had to be labeled as charity events. Now, programs can generate NIL revenue from these games, opening the door for high-profile matchups ahead of the regular season.
The North Carolina and Nebraska games will not count toward BYU's record but mark the start of what is expected to be the most anticipated season in program history. BYU is likely to enter the season ranked in the preseason top 10.
The regular season begins Nov. 3 when BYU faces Villanova in Las Vegas as part of the Hall of Fame Series. Villanova will debut new head coach Kevin Willard, who took over in April.
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Related: AJ Dybantsa admits BYU wasn't top school, blown away by NBA ready program
On Thursday, BYU added another marquee opponent with recent two-time national champion UConn. The Cougars will face the Huskies in Boston at TD Garden on Nov. 14 or 15, a homecoming for BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa.
The Cougars will also meet Clemson in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden. The Tigers reached the Elite Eight in 2024 before suffering a first-round exit eariler this year. BYU is also scheduled to face Wisconsin on Nov. 21 in Salt Lake City, a rematch of their thrilling 91-89 win in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
Related: Big 12 Coach Catches Attention for Blunt Message About BYU
A week after the Wisconsin matchup, BYU will participate in a multi-team event at Disney World. They'll play two games against a trio of Miami, Georgetown, and Dayton over Thanksgiving weekend.
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In total, BYU has six high-profile non-conference games scheduled, building momentum for a historic campaign in Kevin Young's second year in Provo.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 30, 2025, where it first appeared.
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