Minnesota head men’s basketball coach Richard Pitino announced the non-conference schedule Thursday, in conjunction with the Big Ten Conference’s game time and television designations. The Gophers will feature 16 games at Williams Arena while facing a tough test including six power conference opponents outside of Big Ten play.
The 2019-20 schedule is subject to change, including the potential for additional games to be added at a later date.
Following an exhibition game at the Barn on Monday, October 28 against Southwest Minnesota State (7 p.m., BTN+), the 125th season of Golden Gopher men’s basketball tips off one week later on November 5 against Cleveland State (7 p.m., BTN+). A three-game road trip follows, starting with a neutral-site matchup against Oklahoma at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., on Saturday, Nov. 9 (3:30/7 p.m., BTN) – that game time will be announced no later than Oct. 28. The Gophers next face a pair of true road tests, at Butler in the Gavitt Tipoff Games on Tuesday, Nov. 12 (7:30 p.m., FS1) before traveling to Utah on Friday, Nov. 15.
The Maroon and Gold stay home for the rest of the month, beginning a homestand by hosting Central Michigan on Thursday, Nov. 21 (7 p.m., BTN+). The day after Thanksgiving, Minnesota welcomes BIG EAST foe DePaul to the Barn on Friday, Nov. 29 (2 p.m., BTN+). Finally, the Gophers open December with the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, hosting Clemson on Monday, Dec. 2.
After their brief step into conference play at Iowa (Monday, Dec. 9 – 7 p.m., BTN) and hosting Ohio State (Sunday, Dec. 15 – 5:30 p.m., BTN), the Gophers wrap up the non-Big Ten schedule with a neutral-site game in Tulsa against Oklahoma State (Saturday, Dec. 21) and hosting FIU (Saturday, Dec. 28 – 1/3 p.m., BTN), the latter’s game time to be determined following the announcement of the college football bowl schedule on Dec. 8.
After finishing up 2019 and non-conference play, the Big Ten schedule returns on Thursday, Jan. 2 with a road test at Purdue (6 p.m., BTN). The first home game of the new calendar year is three days later, when Minnesota hosts Northwestern on Sunday, Jan. 5 (6:30 p.m., BTN). The Gophers travel to Michigan State (Thursday., Jan. 9 – 8 p.m., ESPN/2) before opening a two-game homestand against Michigan (Jan. 12 – 12 p.m., BTN) and Penn State (Jan. 15 – 8 p.m., BTN).
The first two-game road trip follows, with trips to Rutgers (Jan. 19 – 12 p.m., BTN) and Ohio State (Jan. 23 – 5:30 p.m., FS1) before splitting the rest of January at home versus Michigan State (Jan. 26 – 2 p.m., FOX) and at Illinois (Jan. 30 – 6:30 p.m., FS1).
Following the first bye of the new year, the Gophers return to action at home in a Border Battle hosting Wisconsin on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at Williams Arena (8 p.m., BTN). Three days later, they travel to Penn State (Feb. 8 – 3 p.m., BTN) before the final two-game homestand of the year, hosting Iowa (Sunday, Feb. 16 – 12 p.m., FS1) and Indiana (Wednesday, Feb. 19 – 8 p.m., BTN).
Three of the final five regular-season games are away from the Twin Cities, beginning with a trip to Northwestern (Feb. 23 – 2 p.m., BTN) before a home clash with Maryland (Feb. 26 – 8 p.m., BTN). March opens with the second Border Battle at Wisconsin (Sunday, March 1 – 5:30 p.m., BTN) and a trip to Indiana (Wednesday, Mar. 4 – 6 p.m., BTN) before the final regular season contest on Sunday, March 8 at home against Nebraska (12 p.m., BTN).
The Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament returns to Indianapolis the following week, being contested from March 11-15 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The first three days of the tournament will be broadcast by BTN before semifinal and championship action shifts to CBS on the weekend.
