Ohio State’s non-conference slate includes UConn, Kansas and Notre Dame, plus two prelude exhibitions

Ohio State has set its non-conference men’s basketball schedule, laying out a stretch designed to measure the Buckeyes against elite programs well before Big Ten play begins. The three most prominent matchups on the slate, as highlighted by the announcement, are home-and-away caliber opponents UConn, Kansas and Notre Dame, each in a window that can help shape how the season’s story gets told. The marquee portion starts with Ohio State’s season opener on Nov. 2 against BYU. That date anchors a non-conference run that is intended to go beyond the typical early-season routine, with the Buckeyes scheduled to face multiple high-major programs as part of their preparation for the conference grind. Before the opener, Ohio State will play two exhibitions. The first is against Cincinnati on Oct. 7 at the Lindner Family Tennis Center. The second is against Butler on Oct. 25 at home. While exhibition games do not count in the standings, they can be significant for evaluating rotations, testing lineups and tightening execution against opponents that bring different styles. In addition to the exhibition-to-opener sequence, the broader non-conference schedule includes five high-major opponents, reflecting a schedule philosophy centered on speed of growth and early credibility. Among those high-profile matchups, UConn and Kansas stand out as national programs with deep tournament histories, and Notre Dame brings a distinct brand of physical, structured offense and defense that often changes the feel of a game from tip to final possession. For Ohio State, the value of this schedule is not simply in star power, but in the cumulative variety of opposition. UConn and Kansas typically stress spacing and pace control, while Notre Dame tends to emphasize half-court decision-making and defensive organization. Facing each of them before Big Ten play means the Buckeyes can address weaknesses while there is still time to adjust. What to watch next is how Ohio State uses the exhibitions to translate early work into consistent game performance. The non-conference slate will also reveal whether the Buckeyes can handle different tactical looks without relying on a single approach, especially once games against UConn, Kansas and Notre Dame are within reach. If the Buckeyes enter December with at least one or two signature wins, the schedule could set up a stronger late-season profile. If results are mixed, those same games become teaching opportunities that still matter because they arrive before conference seeding becomes the focus.