Rivalry nights and road tests
Double‑headers with Michigan State and Ohio State headline the rivalry portion of the schedule, while the twice‑a‑year series with Minnesota adds another layer of intensity. The Wolverines will also host Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Oregon and Purdue at Crisler Center, creating a blend of familiar foes and new challenges.
A West Coast adventure
Michigan embarks on a West Coast swing, opening the season with games at USC and UCLA. The back‑to‑back road contests against the Pacific powerhouses mark the first time the program will face consecutive opponents on the West Coast this early in a Big Ten schedule.
Coach Dusty May's alma mater
Later in the conference slate, the Wolverines travel to Bloomington to meet Indiana, the alma mater of head coach Dusty May. The matchup adds a personal storyline for May, who will return to the campus where his coaching journey began.
Road challenges also include trips to Penn State, Rutgers, Nebraska and Wisconsin, while the home front will welcome a host of competitive programs. The schedule comes on the heels of a historic 2025‑26 campaign in which Michigan went 19‑1 in Big Ten play, captured the conference title by four games and finished 10‑0 on the road — a first in five decades.