Memphis Tigers basketball unveiled its complete 2026‑27 nonconference schedule on August 10, promising a season that blends marquee road tests with a robust home slate.
Power‑Conference Matchups
The Tigers will face up to seven opponents from power conferences, including Louisville, Texas, Iowa State and Vanderbilt, all projected inside the top 25 of Bart Torvik’s preseason rankings.
Home Opener and Key Domestic Games
The season opens at home against VCU on November 7, a rematch of a 62‑47 win from November 2022, before welcoming Jackson State on December 2, a previously unannounced contest. Additional home games include a December 11 clash with Grand Canyon and a December 22 showdown with Little Rock.
Exhibition and Neutral‑Site Events
Prior to the regular season, Memphis will play exhibition games against Mississippi State on October 23 and Arkansas on October 29. The first official test arrives on November 2 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the Tigers will meet Iowa State at the Sanford Pentagon.
Following the Sioux Falls opener, the team travels to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis series, opening the tournament against Wake Forest on November 25 before continuing the Atlantic 10‑American Conference Showcase with a December 29 game against Dayton at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio.
Coach Penny Hardaway praised the schedule, emphasizing its balanced mix of challenging nonconference opponents and the rigors of conference play, a sentiment that underscores the program’s ambition to compete at the highest level.