The University of Utah's men's basketball team, known affectionately as the Runnin' Utes, unveiled its non-conference slate for the 2025-26 season, and let's just say, fan calendars should be booked solid through December. In a news release posted on the team's official website, the Utes have lined up a home-heavy schedule to kick off their campaign in Alex Jensen's inaugural year at the helm. Tickets for this buffet of basketball are now on sale, starting from a wallet-friendly $200, or ringing up the Utah Ticket Office faster than you can say "three-pointer."
Utah's home grind will get rolling with an exhibition against Nevada come October 17 at the Jon M. Huntsman Center, a venue where fans historically have witnessed the Utes' dominance. Attempt quickly to follow that up; the Utes are Pacific Northwest-bound, facing off with the Ducks in Oregon for the final pre-season play. Official games tip off November 3 against San José State, with Utah's women's team creating a hoop double feature sure to draw in the fans. "The Runnin’ Ute fans will get their first peek at the Utes when they play host to Nevada in an exhibition game on Friday, Oct. 17, inside the Jon M. Huntsman Center," according to UtahUtes.com.
There's no globetrotting necessary for Utah fans in the early weeks, with six straight games at home. It's a gambit that includes a rendezvous with the Crusaders from Holy Cross on November 10, a team Utah last bested in a 97-84 victory back in '88. Then, we have a bit of a narrative with former Ute Luka Tarlac returning, this time suited up for Cal Poly, to potentially disrupt Utah's winning streak. We're marking the calendar for the tilt against Grand Canyon on November 25 in the Acrisure Series, where head coach Bryce Drew's track record might just give the Utes a run for their money.
It's not all home coziness, though. December sees the Utes heading out for a couple of road games, including a much-anticipated match against Cal, their first encounter since Cal left the Pac-12 behind. To cap off non-conference play, they'll step inside the Delta Center to cross hoops with Mississippi State on December 13, before squaring off with Eastern Washington on December 20 back on friendly turf. And don't sleep on the home-and-home series opener against Washington - that coaching staff has more ex-Utes than a senior class reunion. The Huskies coaching team, led by Danny Sprinkle, notably features "three former Utah assistant coaches in Andy Hill, DeMarlo Slocum and Tommy Connor," as revealed by UtahUtes.com.
