"It's a new era of sorts in examining the nonconference portion of the men's college basketball season. A diminished slate of traditional MTEs -- exempt multiteam events -- along with ever-expanding league schedules have combined to change the cadence of marquee matchups, with games between high-majors and the top of the mid-major ranks becoming especially rare. Power conference challenges, outside the ACC/SEC event in December, have also faded away."
"The Players Era Festival and other one-off neutral court pairings have picked up some of the slack, but the Big East in recent years has done away with both the Gavitt Games (vs. Big Ten) as well as a mini-challenge against the Big 12. So, it is necessary to dig a little deeper for the most impactful and attractive nonconference games. That said, here's a full slate of "can't miss" encounters for the first month of the 2025-26 campaign."
Nonconference men's college basketball now features fewer traditional multiteam events and fewer marquee matchups between high-major and top mid-major programs. Expanding conference schedules have altered the cadence of early-season games and curtailed many power-conference challenges outside the ACC/SEC December event. One-off neutral-site events like the Players Era Festival have partially filled the gap. The Big East eliminated the Gavitt Games and a mini-challenge with the Big 12, reducing cross-conference showdowns. Identifying the most impactful and attractive nonconference contests requires closer scrutiny, with a highlighted slate of can’t-miss games scheduled for November 2025.
Read at ESPN.com
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