Defending Champion Wolverines Release 20-Game Big Ten Slate
9/16/2026 6:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
• 2026-27 U-M Men's Basketball Schedule
• Wolverines Announce 2026-27 Non-Conference Schedule
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- After capturing the 2026 Big Ten title by four games with a record 19-1 league mark, the University of Michigan men's basketball team announced Wednesday (Sept. 16), in conjunction with the conference office, its 20-game Big Ten schedule for the 2026-27 season as the Wolverines prepare to defend their league crown.
Complete television designations, game times and ticket information will be announced at a later date.
Michigan opens conference play with a pair of matchups before the holiday break. The Wolverines begin league action Wednesday, Dec. 9, at Rutgers before welcoming Northwestern to Crisler Center on Saturday, Dec. 12. Both games will be U-M's only meetings with the Scarlet Knights and Wildcats.
Overall, Michigan is 11-4 in early December Big Ten contests and has won five straight. The Wolverines own a 5-2 record at home and a 6-2 mark on the road in those games.
With the conference schedule split evenly between 10 home and 10 road games, U-M resumes Big Ten play Saturday, Jan. 2, when Washington visits Ann Arbor. The Wolverines will play four of their first six January games at Crisler before heading west to face USC (Jan. 23) and UCLA (Jan. 26).
Michigan will face Michigan State, Ohio State and Minnesota in home-and-home series during the regular season. The Wolverines host the Spartans on Saturday, Feb. 13, before heading to Breslin Center two weeks later on Friday (Feb. 26).
U-M welcomes Ohio State to Crisler Center on Saturday, Jan. 30, then closes the regular-season conference slate in Columbus on Sunday, March 7. Michigan hosts Minnesota on Tuesday, Jan. 12, before heading to the Barn on Tuesday, Feb. 16.
The remainder of U-M's home slate includes visits from Purdue (Jan. 8), Oregon (Jan. 19), Illinois (Feb. 9), Iowa (Feb. 20) and Maryland (March 4). The Wolverines' remaining road games are at Nebraska (Jan. 5), Indiana (Jan. 16), Wisconsin (Feb. 6) and Penn State (Feb. 23).
Michigan will split its final 10 conference games evenly between home and road, closing the regular season with four of its final six away from Ann Arbor -- including three of its last four contests -- before the Big Ten Tournament.
The 30th annual Big Ten Tournament returns to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., Tuesday through Sunday, March 9-14. It will mark the 14th time Indianapolis has hosted the conference tournament. Once again, the Big Ten Tournament championship game will lead into the NCAA Tournament Selection Show on Sunday, March 14.
Last season, Michigan won the Big Ten title by four games, set a conference record with 19 league victories, and posted the Big Ten's best regular-season mark (19-1) since Indiana's undefeated 1975-76 season (18-0). The Wolverines also went a perfect 10-0 on the road, becoming the first Big Ten team in 50 years to accomplish the feat and joining the 1976 Hoosiers.
Single-game tickets will go on sale in the coming weeks. Join the ticket interest list for updates.
2026-27 Big Ten Schedule Notes
• Michigan's 20-game Big Ten schedule features 10 home and 10 road games.
• Michigan opens league play with a pair of early-December matchups: at Rutgers (Dec. 9) and against Northwestern (Dec. 12). U-M is 11-4 in those contests and has won five straight.
• Following the early-December games, Michigan resumes conference play against Washington at Crisler Center (Jan. 2).
• The Wolverines play four of their first six January games in Ann Arbor before the West Coast trip.
• Michigan's 2027 West Coast swing takes the Wolverines to Los Angeles for games at USC (Jan. 23) and UCLA (Jan. 26).
• Michigan has home-and-home series with Minnesota, Michigan State and Ohio State.
• Michigan plays three of its final four games on the road, capped by the regular-season finale at Ohio State (March 7).
• Michigan's schedule features seven Tuesday games, including four on the road, and eight Saturday games, including five in Ann Arbor.
