Rutgers Men's Basketball Reveals 2026-27 Schedule

The 34-game schedule features home games at Jersey Mike's Arena, a neutral-site tournament in Las Vegas, and notable contests, such as an exhibition at Madison Square Garden, a rivalry game at Barclays Center, and a 20-game Big Ten slate.

The preseason begins with a pair of exhibitions: Rutgers will host Villanova at Jersey Mike's Arena on Sunday, October 11, at 1 p.m., followed by a match against St. John's at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, October 18, at noon. Both games are open to fans, and season-ticket holders will have access to their seats for the Villanova exhibition at no additional charge.

The regular season will commence with a game against the University of New Haven on Friday, November 6, followed by NJIT on Tuesday, November 10, and Bryant on Friday, November 13, all at Jersey Mike's Arena.

Afterward, Rutgers will head to Las Vegas for the Players Era Festival from November 17-19, facing Houston in the first round, followed by a potential matchup against Florida or Notre Dame in the second round.

The home schedule resumes with Sacred Heart on November 24, before the Scarlet Knights begin Big Ten play on the road against Indiana on December 1 and host Michigan on December 9. Non-conference action continues with a Garden State Hardwood Classic against Seton Hall on December 12, followed by home games against St. Peter's (December 16), Army (December 20), and Delaware State (December 29).

Big Ten play picks up in January as Rutgers starts the new year at Purdue on January 2. The Scarlet Knights will then host UCLA on January 5, USC on January 8, and Iowa on January 12, followed by road games at Northwestern (January 16) and Maryland (January 19). They will return home to face Minnesota on January 23, followed by road games at Oregon (January 27) and Washington (January 30) before hosting Purdue on February 3.

Rutgers will also have a neutral-site game against Syracuse at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on either February 6 or 7, continuing their tradition of high-profile out-of-conference matchups in the New York metropolitan area.

The regular season ends with a demanding stretch of eight Big Ten games in 25 days, including games against Michigan State (February 10), Wisconsin (February 13), Nebraska (February 16), Penn State (February 20), Ohio State (February 25), Maryland (February 28), and Illinois (March 3), finishing on the road at Penn State on March 7.

Further details, including tip-off times and television listings, will be announced later.

Ticket information includes an exclusive purchase window for season-ticket holders starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, September 18, with general public availability following. Tickets for the Villanova game will be part of the season-ticket package, while a limited number of tickets for the St. John's exhibition will be available, with additional details to be provided later.