​The Gophers unveiled a much-improved nonconference schedule at the end of August. It will feature five games against power conference opponents, and the first-ever meeting with St. Thomas, both as Division I programs. Here’s every game ranked, in terms of intrigue and importance.The 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔-𝟐𝟕 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 Schedule is Here 〽️ 📰 : https://t.co/4zhdPPDFNE#TeamTogetherpic.twitter.com/1WdqorVNi7— Minnesota Men’s Basketball (@GopherMBB) August 28, 2026ExhibitionsThe Gophers’ first of two exhibitions will take place on Thursday, Oct. 15 at The Barn against Omaha. They will then travel to Omaha to face Creighton on Friday, Oct. 23. Mavericks head coach Chris Crutchfield has built a competitive program in the Summit League, but the matchup with Creighton on the road should be a much better litmus test for where Minnesota is at heading into the regular season.Regular season noncon opponentsNew UC coach Jerrod Calhoun was hired in March 2026. He’s a former assistant under Bob Huggins at both UC and West Virginia and was Horizon League Coach of the Year at Youngstown State and Mountain West COY at Utah State. Calhoun led the Aggies to a pair of NCAA bids.1. Cincinnati2. Oklahoma State3. SMU4. California5. UtahA Quad 1 opportunity can be a road game against an opponent ranked 1-75 in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings, so Minnesota’s road game at Cincinnati on Nov. 9 is almost guaranteed to fall into that; therefore, it’s pretty clearly the biggest nonconference game on their schedule.Minnesota will face two teams from the Big 12 at this year’s Charleston Classic over Thanksgiving Week. I expect Oklahoma State to be far more dangerous than Utah in Year 3 under head coach Steve Lutz, but both games should be opportunities for the Gophers to pick up resume-building wins.OSU head coach Steve Lutz speaks to the press during an Oklahoma State basketball practice in Stillwater, Okla., on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.SMU will be a neutral-site matchup in Frisco, Texas, and the Cal game will be played in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, at the Sanford Pentagon. SMU has a significantly higher chance of competing for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but Mark Madsen will always have his Golden Bears ready to go.6. St. Thomas7. North Dakota8. UTSASouth Dakota State Jackrabbits guard Jaden Jackson (14) jumps to block St. Thomas Tommies guard Nick Janowski (23) during the Summit League quarterfinals on Thursday, March 5, 2026, at Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.The St. Thomas matchup at The Barn will be a massive game for many different reasons, but the Gophers will be heavily favored to win. Home games against North Dakota and UTSA are the only other true mid-major opponents on the schedule, but they will both likely be Quad 4 games for the Gophers.9. Southern10. Texas Southern11. Alcorn State12. Western IllinoisSouthern, Texas Southern, and Al