A packed preseason schedule sets the tone for a promising year
Oklahoma State University’s men’s basketball team will open its 2026‑27 preseason with a trio of exhibition games that double as a celebration of Homecoming. The Cowboys are slated to host Tulsa on Friday, October 23 at 2:30 p.m. in Gallagher‑Iba Arena, marking the first of three scheduled matchups before the regular season begins.
The schedule also includes a home game against New Mexico on October 11 and a visit from Wisconsin on October 27, giving the program a chance to fine‑tune its chemistry under head coach Steve Lutz. New NCAA regulations now permit teams to play up to three preseason exhibitions against Division I opponents, expanding the previous limit of two.
Adding to the excitement, former OSU star Tony Allen will be inducted into the 2026 OSU Athletics Hall of Honor on Friday evening, bringing a legacy of defensive excellence back to the campus.
Lutz inherits a roster bolstered by what the Big 12 describes as the conference’s top transfer portal haul and a consensus top‑10 high‑school signing class, positioning the Cowboys as early contenders for a deep postseason run.
Wisconsin, meanwhile, arrives with a strong recent tournament pedigree. Under coach Greg Gard, the Badgers have reached the NCAA Tournament eight times in the past 11 seasons, including the last three years, setting the stage for a competitive exhibition.
The upcoming series will mark the first meeting between Oklahoma State and New Mexico since 2011, while the exhibition game against Tulsa will be part of a broader Homecoming weekend that also features a continuation of the series in Albuquerque later in the preseason.
Tulsa enters the 2026‑27 campaign after a 30‑win season and an NIT runner‑up finish, but will field a roster reshaped by nine newcomers, adding another layer of intrigue to the matchup.