Ohio State, BYU to open 2026-27 men's hoops season in Salt Lake City

The Buckeyes will face the Cougars in a neutral-site game to start the upcoming season.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 9:41pm

A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a college basketball game in motion, with players and the court rendered in sharp, overlapping geometric shapes and planes of color.A conceptual illustration captures the strategic complexity and competitive energy of an early-season college basketball matchup between Ohio State and BYU.Notre Dame Today

The Ohio State men's basketball team will open the 2026-27 season with a neutral-site game against BYU in Salt Lake City on November 2. This is the third high-major opponent known to be on the Buckeyes' schedule, which will also include games against Notre Dame and Kansas.

Why it matters

This early-season matchup between Ohio State and BYU will provide an intriguing non-conference test for both teams as they look to build momentum heading into conference play. The game's location in Salt Lake City also offers a neutral site that could draw interest from fans of both programs.

The details

The Ohio State-BYU game will take place at the Delta Center, home of the NBA's Utah Jazz and NHL's Utah Mammoth. A full schedule for the 2026-27 season has not yet been released, but the Buckeyes are also set to face Notre Dame in a home-and-home series and take on Kansas in the annual CBS Sports Classic in New York City.

  • The Ohio State-BYU game will be played on November 2, 2026.
  • The Buckeyes will face Notre Dame at a later date in the 2026-27 season.
  • Ohio State will take on Kansas on December 19, 2026 in New York City.

The players

Ohio State

The Ohio State men's basketball team, a member of the Big Ten Conference.

BYU

Brigham Young University's men's basketball team, a member of the West Coast Conference.

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What’s next

Full details of Ohio State's 2026-27 schedule, including the date for the game against Notre Dame, will be announced at a later date.

The takeaway

This early-season matchup between two prominent college basketball programs will provide an exciting start to the 2026-27 season and offer fans a chance to see two talented teams square off in a neutral-site setting.