After trickling in like a leaky faucet, the Michigan basketball nonconference schedule has officially solidified.

In 2024, coach Dusty May said he wanted to make sure that his Wolverines played a number of various styles of teams in order to prepare for what it hoped would be a lengthy postseason slate. It paid off, as U-M not only won the Big Ten tournament, but advanced to the Sweet 16 in the first year of the May era.

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The schedule for the 2025-26 season is every bit as tough, if not a step above.

The program plays a number of big name programs including Villanova at home (Tuesday, Dec. 9) and Duke at a neutral site (Feb. 21, Washington, D.C.) in addition to the return trips of last year’s matchups with Wake Forest coming to Detroit and U-M facing TCU on the road in mid-November.

With the “Players Era Festival” tournament in Las Vegas that carries a $1 million purse, there’s plenty more tough contests before Big Ten play picks up with teams like San Diego State and Auburn, which knocked the Wolverines out of the NCAA tournament a season ago.

Here’s a complete look at the 2025-26 nonconference schedule as well as a reminder of which Big Ten teams U-M plays on the road, at home and the three teams it will see twice this upcoming season.

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2025-26 Michigan basketball nonconference schedule

Oct. 25 (exhibition): vs. St. John’s (Madison Square Garden)

Nov. 3: Oakland (Crisler Center)

Nov. 11: vs. Wake Forest (Detroit, Little Caesars Arena)

Nov. 14: at TCU

Players Era Festival (Tournament Info)

Nov. 24 (Players Era Festival): San Diego State (Las Vegas, 10:30 p.m.)

Nov. 25 (Players Era Festival): Auburn (Las Vegas, 8:30 p.m.)

Nov. 26/27: TBD based on first two games

Dec. 9: Villanova (Crisler Center)

Dec. 21: La Salle (Crisler Center)

Dec. 29: McNeese (Crisler Center)

Feb. 21: vs. Duke (Washington, D.C.)

Michigan head coach Dusty May cheers on after a play against Auburn during the second half of the Sweet 16 round of NCAA tournament at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga. on Friday, March 28, 2025.

Michigan head coach Dusty May cheers on after a play against Auburn during the second half of the Sweet 16 round of NCAA tournament at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga. on Friday, March 28, 2025.

Michigan basketball’s 2025-26 Big Ten slate

Home/Away: Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State.

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Home: Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Rutgers, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin.

Away: Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Oregon, Purdue, Washington.

Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on “X” at @RealTonyGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball schedule: Wolverines announce nonconference slate