ESPN 2026-27 Men’s College Basketball Full Schedule
ESPN’s industry-leading men’s college basketball coverage returns with a schedule of more than 4,000 games during the 2026-27 regular season. In all, more than 750 games will air across ESPN networks – ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network and ACC Network. All 4,000+ games will be available to stream on the ESPN App via an applicable subscription, with 3,000+ on ESPN+.
ESPN will present more than 25 tournaments and marquee events during the first half of the season, highlighted by its first year as the exclusive home of the expanded Players Era Men’s Championships. From the State Farm Champions Classic and Jimmy V Men’s Classic Presented by Modelo to Feast Week Presented by Lowe’s and marquee conference matchups across the SEC, ACC, Big 12 and beyond, ESPN will showcase many of the nation’s top programs throughout the season. The schedule includes appearances by 24 of the preseason AP Top 25 teams.
Extensive coverage of nearly 30 conferences, including the ACC, the American, Atlantic 10, Big 12, BIG EAST, Big West, CUSA, Horizon League, Ivy League, MAC, The Metro, Missouri Valley, SEC, Sun Belt, West Coast Conference and more, will be featured across ESPN networks. The signature men’s basketball franchises Wendy’s Blockbuster, Saturday Prime, Big Monday and Super Tuesday presented by Progressive also return this season.
2026-27 ESPN Men’s College Basketball Schedule Highlights:
- Early Season Showcases and Events:
- State Farm Champions Classic (Nov. 10): The annual Champions Classic doubleheader heads to the United Center in Chicago, featuring a doubleheader with four of college basketball’s historically elite programs – No. 2 Duke takes on No. 6 Michigan State (7 p.m., ESPN), followed by a matchup between No. 17 Kansas and No. 23 Kentucky (9:30 p.m., ESPN).
- Players Era 8 (Nov. 17-19): ESPN’s first season as the exclusive home of the expanded Players Era Men’s Championships begins with the Players Era 8, featuring an eight-team bracket and championship matchup on Nov. 19. The field consists of No. 1 Florida, No. 10 Houston, No. 17 Kansas, Auburn, Notre Dame, West Virginia, Rutgers and UNLV.
- Players Era 16 (Nov. 24-28): Sixteen of the nation’s top programs compete in two eight-team brackets November 24–28 at T-Mobile Arena and Michelob ULTRA Arena with the two bracket winners meeting for the Ultimate Championship on Nov. 28 (10:30 p.m., ESPN). The field includes reigning national champion No. 16 Michigan, along with No. 8 Tennessee, No. 11 Louisville, No. 13 St. John’s, No. 14 Miami, No. 15 Gonzaga, No. 18 Iowa State, No. 19 Texas Tech, No. 20 Alabama, Baylor, Maryland, TCU, Oregon, Creighton, San Diego State and Kansas State.
- SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge (Dec. 1-2): The SEC/ACC Men’s Basketball Challenge returns for the fourth edition Dec. 1-2 across ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network and ACC Network as two of the nation’s top conferences go head-to-head. A combined 11 programs are ranked in the preseason Top 25. The Challenge is highlighted by a matchup between the nation’s top two teams entering the season as No. 1 Florida hosts No. 2 Duke (Dec. 1, 9:30 p.m., ESPN). Plus, No. 7 Texas travels to No. 11 Louisville (Dec.1, 9 p.m., ESPN2), No. 9 Virginia hosts No. 23 Kentucky (Dec. 2, 7:15 p.m., ESPN) and No. 14 Miami hosts No. 20 Alabama (Dec. 2, 9:15 p.m., ESPN).
- Jimmy V Men’s Classic Presented by Modelo (Dec. 8) – The annual men’s college basketball doubleheader at Madison Square Garden features No. 20 Alabama taking on No. 10 Houston (6:30 p.m., ESPN), followed by Georgia clashing with the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils (9 p.m., ESPN).
- Signature ESPN Franchises:
- ESPN on ABC Presented by Principal: ESPN’s ABC schedule features four of the season’s premier rivalry and conference showdowns, including Louisville-Kentucky (Dec. 12, 4 p.m.), Texas Tech-Kansas (Feb. 6, noon), North Carolina-Duke (Feb. 13, 5:30 p.m.) and Florida-Arkansas (Feb. 27, 3 p.m.).
- Big Monday: Beginning Monday, Feb. 1, ESPN will showcase marquee matchups in the ACC (7 p.m. ET) and Big 12 (9 p.m.) through the final Monday of the college basketball regular season (March 1). The featured teams include No. 2 Duke, No. 12 Virginia, No. 15 Louisville and No. 18 Miami of the ACC, and No. 6 Arizona, No. 9 Texas Tech, No. 17 Houston, No. 19 BYU and No. 25 Kansas from the Big 12.
- Super Tuesday: A staple of ESPN’s college basketball programming since the 1980s, Super Tuesday Presented by Progressive returns in January 2027 with weekly conference showdowns across the ACC, Big 12 and SEC. Highlights include No. 25 BYU at No. 5 Arizona on Jan. 12 (11 p.m., ESPN), No. 14 Miami at No. 11 Louisville on Jan. 19 (7 p.m., ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU) and No. 20 Alabama at No. 7 Texas on Feb. 9 (7 p.m., ESPN).
- Saturday Prime: Saturdays throughout the winter will be filled with wall-to-wall college hoops action. Days to mark on the calendar include Jan. 16 (No. 12 Arkansas at No. 8 Tennessee, No. 1 Florida at No. 20 Alabama, No. 9 Virginia at Nio. 14 Miami and No. 18 Iowa State at No. 19 Texas Tech) and the Feb. 13 Super Saturday slate to lead into ESPN’s first-ever Super Bowl presentation (No. 17 Kansas at No. 18 Iowa State, No. 7 Texas at No. 24 Vanderbilt, No. 23 Kentucky at No. 8 Tennessee, North Carolina at No. 2 Duke and No. 12 Arkansas at No. 20 Alabama).
Other notable early-season matchups on ESPN networks featuring ranked teams:
| Date | Time (ET) | Game | Where to watch |
| Mon, Nov 2 | 6 p.m. | Orion180 Tipoff Classic No. 14 Miami vs. No. 1 Florida | ESPN2 |
| Sun, Nov 8 | 1 p.m. | Capital Showcase (Washington, D.C.) No. 12 Arkansas at No. 9 Virginia | ESPN |
| Tue, Nov 17 | 7 p.m. | No. 3 Illinois at No. 2 Duke | ESPN |
| 9 p.m. | No. 6 Michigan State at No. 8 Tennessee | ESPN2 | |
| Sun, Dec 6 | 5 p.m. | No. 17 Kansas vs. Missouri | ESPN |
| Sat, Dec 12 | 3:30 p.m. | 2026 RxBenefits C.M. Newton Classic No. 13 St. John’s vs. No. 20 Alabama | ESPN |
| 5:30 p.m. | Houston Hoopfest No. 14 Miami vs. No. 7 Texas | ESPN | |
| Sun, Dec 13 | 2 p.m. | No. 21 USC at No. 19 Texas Tech | ESPN2 |
| Sat, Dec 19 | 6:30 p.m. | Basketball Hall of Fame Series (Phoenix) No. 12 Arkansas at No. 5 Arizona | ESPN |
| Sun, Dec 20 | 3 p.m. | No. 4 UConn vs. No. 9 Virginia | ESPN |
Conference Coverage across ESPN:
SEC Network
SEC Network will televise 110+ men’s basketball games during the 2026-27 season. Seven SEC teams ranked in the AP Top 25 combine for 34 appearances on SEC Network, including eight scheduled appearances for the top-ranked Florida Gators. SEC Network+ will stream an additional 90+ games throughout the season.
ACC Network
ACC Network will televise 115+ men’s basketball games during the 2026-27 season. Highlights include Syracuse at Miami (Jan. 9), Clemson at SMU (Feb. 23) and North Carolina at Virginia Tech (Feb. 27). ACC Network Extra will stream an additional 80+ games throughout the season. ACCN will also showcase early round games from the 2027 ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament (March 9-13) at the First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.
Big 12 Basketball on ESPN
Big 12 basketball is set for over 50 conference matchups across ESPN linear networks, with more conference showdowns streaming on the ESPN App. ESPN’s coverage of Big 12 men’s college basketball tips off Friday, Nov. 6, as No. 17 Kansas hosts Middle Tennessee (9 p.m., ESPNU). The Big 12 enters the season with six teams ranked in the AP Preseason Top 25 – national semifinalists Arizona (No. 5), Houston (No. 10), Kansas (No. 17), Iowa State (No. 18), Texas Tech (No. 19) and BYU (No. 25). Full Big 12 schedule.
ESPN+
More than 3,000 games are slated exclusively for ESPN+, including 800 in the month of November alone. The season starts with a ranked appearance on opening night as No. 13 St. John’s hosts Monmouth on Nov. 2 (6:30 p.m., ESPN+). Full ESPN+ schedule.
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