Florida’s athletics department has released the bulk of its non‑conference slate for the 2026‑27 men’s basketball season, a schedule that blends carefully chosen buy games with a handful of marquee matchups designed to bolster the team’s résumé.
Coach Todd Golden emphasized that the new calendar was built to strike a healthier balance after a season that saw the Gators struggle in road and neutral‑site environments, dropping games to UConn, Duke and Arizona.
A Balanced Approach
The buy‑game portion includes contests against Long Island, Merrimack, Vermont, Florida A&M, Jacksonville and Milwaukee, each offering a different style of competition and an opportunity to fine‑tune before conference play.
Among those, Long Island stands out for the rapid rise of coach Rod Strickland’s program, while Merrimack entered the season with the highest KenPom rating of any buy‑game opponent, promising a tough test early in the year.
On the résumé‑building side, Florida will host Duke, travel to Miami, Kansas, Auburn and West Virginia, and also test itself against Auburn, West Virginia, and a series of other power‑conference foes.
The highlight of the non‑conference slate is the home showdown with Duke, a rematch of last year’s narrow loss that left the Gators eager for redemption. Miami, under first‑year coach Jai Lucas, arrives after a strong season that saw the Hurricanes advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
The Players Era tournament in Las Vegas will also serve as a critical venue for building momentum and gathering quality wins before the grind of SEC play begins.
Overall, the schedule reflects a deliberate effort to blend competitive buy games with high‑impact résumé builders, positioning Florida to enter conference action with a stronger national profile and a more balanced experience.