The Bearcats have dropped their 2026-27 basketball non-conference schedule ahead of the season tip-off in early November.Jerrod Calhoun's first season as head coach features plenty of marquee non-conference and Big 12 matchups to give his all-transfer roster plenty of chances to prove they are worthy of an NCAA Tournament spot.From Xavier to Clemson, Kansas and more, Cincinnati has tons of fun games to get excited for.The team is currently ranked 42nd on Bart Torvik's preseason projection rankings ahead of the campaign. Calhoun is facing a ton of great coaches in the Big 12 across the coming months."This league is full of Hall of Famers. That's really what stood out to me. When you really dissect the Big 12, you've got surefire Hall of Famers already, then you've got a whole batch of coaches that are kind of that next generation of guys in the league," Calhoun said earlier this offseason. "It's been phenomenal, all of those guys, from Coach Self to Coach Sampson to Kevin Young, those guys have been great to me. "I think it's really a brotherhood of coaches in the Big 12. I think all of us want what's best for the league, but it really starts and ends with our commissioner. He's the real deal. He's forward-thinking, but yeah, we have our work cut out for us. We did when we went into the Mountain West ... So I think you have to be convicted on the way you play, but you also have to change some things up as well."Check out the non-conference slate below:Oct. 7 vs. Ohio State (exh.) Lindner Family Tennis CenterOct. 17 Illinois (exh.) Fifth Third ArenaOct. 27 Oakland (exh.) Fifth Third ArenaNov. 2 American Fifth Third ArenaNov. 5 Green Bay Fifth Third ArenaNov. 9 Minnesota Fifth Third ArenaNov. 14 at Dayton UD ArenaNov. 18 Youngstown State Fifth Third ArenaNov. 22 UMass Lowell Fifth Third ArenaNov. 26-27 ESPN Events Invitational ESPN Wide World of SportsDec. 2 Monmouth Fifth Third ArenaDec. 5 Xavier Fifth Third ArenaDec. 14 Stetson Fifth Third ArenaDec. 19 vs. Clemson Heritage Bank CenterDec. 22 Marist Fifth Third ArenaDec. 29 Bethune-Cookman Fifth Third Arena— Cincinnati Men’s Hoops (@GoBearcatsMBB) August 21, 2026Bookmark Bearcats Talk for the latest news, breakdowns, and so much more. Be sure to check out our YouTube page as well, starting with the video below.Also, don't miss the podcast, Bearcat Blitz, wherever you get your shows! Apple Spotify YouTube Be sure to keep it locked in on Bearcats Talk, as we cover the trials and tribulations of the Big 12!Follow Bearcats Talk on Twitter: @BearcatsTalkLike Bearcats Talk on Facebook: Bearcats TalkAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow