Huskers Release 2025-26 MBB Non-Conference Schedule

Lincoln – Matchups with NCAA Tournament qualifiers Oklahoma and Creighton and a trip to the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City highlight Nebraska’s 2025-26 men’s basketball non-conference schedule released Friday.

“We have a number of tests in our non-conference schedule, beginning with the exhibition game with a BYU team that went to the Sweet 16 last season,” Head Coach Fred Hoiberg said. “That matchup will give us a good gauge heading into the season. We open with three straight home games before facing Oklahoma and two high-caliber games in the Hall of Fame Classic the following week. The December portion of the schedule features Creighton which will be one of the favorites in the Big East and two Big Ten games before we return to conference play in January.”

The Huskers, coming off consecutive 20-win seasons, will be challenged during non-conference action. The Huskers will face Oklahoma in Sioux Falls, S.D., as the Sooners won 20 games and reached the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The pairings for the Hall of Fame Classic will be announced later this summer.

NU’s other trip during non-conference play is to Kansas City for the program’s first appearance in the Hall of Fame Classic since 2018. The four-team field includes a pair of NCAA Tournament teams in Mississippi State and New Mexico along with a Kansas State team that posted wins at Iowa State and against Kansas and Arizona last season.

Nebraska’s eight-game home slate is highlighted by the annual matchup against Creighton on Dec. 7. The Bluejays finished second in the Big East and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskers will also have two exhibition games, highlighted by a contest against a BYU squad that went 26-10 last year and adds A.J. Dybantsa, the No. 1 recruit in the nation by ESPN.

Nebraska returns five letterwinners from a team that went 21-14 in 2024-25. The group includes returning starters Berke Büyüktuncel and Sam Hoiberg, along with senior guard Connor Essegian, who averaged 10.7 ppg off the bench last season. The Huskers also regain the services of two other significant contributors to the 2024 NCAA Tournament team in All-Big Ten forward senior Rienk Mast, who averaged 12.3 points and led NU in both rebounding (7.5 rpg) and assists (3.0 apg), and Jamarques Lawrence, who played in all 34 games at NU in 2023-24 and averaged 6.9 points and 2.5 assists per game before playing at Rhode Island last season.

Lawrence (9.9 ppg at Rhode Island) is part of a six-member transfer class which includes Kendall Blue (12.3 pp, 4.4 rpg at St. Thomas), Will Cooper (5.3 ppg at Air Force) Jared Garcia (9.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg at Tulsa), Ugnius Jarusevicius (16.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg at Central Michigan) and Pryce Sandfort (8.8 ppg at Iowa). Nebraska also adds a pair of freshmen who are among the nation’s top 125 recruits in Leo Curtis (CATS Academy) and Quentin Rhymes (Hillcrest Prep).

The Big Ten home schedule this season features matchups with Big Ten regular-season champion Purdue as well as NCAA Tournament qualifiers Michigan State, Maryland, Wisconsin, Oregon and Illinois.

Start times and broadcast information for all games will be announced at a later date. Fans can join the 2025-26 men’s basketball request list by visiting Huskers.com/Tickets to get the first opportunity for season tickets for the upcoming season.

 

2025-26 Nebraska Non-Conference Schedule

Date	Opponent
Sat., Oct. 18	BYU (Exhibition)
Mon., Oct. 27	Midland (Exhibition)
Mon., Nov. 3	West Georgia
Sat., Nov. 8	Florida International
Tues., Nov. 11	Maryland-Eastern Shore
Sat., Nov. 15	vs. Oklahoma (at Sioux Falls)
Thurs., Nov. 20	at Hall of Fame Classic (Kansas State, Miss. St., New Mexico)
Fri., Nov. 21	at Hall of Fame Classic (Kansas State, Miss. St., New Mexico)
Tues, Nov. 25	Winthrop
Sat., Nov. 29	South Carolina Upstate
Sun, Dec. 7	Creighton
Sun, Dec. 21	North Dakota
Tues., Dec. 30	New Hampshire