The opening week of the 2026–27 men's college basketball season continues Wednesday with a schedule featuring several recognizable programs and plenty of opportunities to discover teams outside the national spotlight.
Tuesday delivered impressive performances from Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia and Arkansas. Wednesday's slate doesn't feature a nationally ranked team, but it includes Auburn's season opener, Butler's first game and several potentially competitive mid-major contests.
Fans can follow the action from the early evening into the late-night West Coast window, with many games available through ESPN+.
Wednesday's Division I men's basketball schedule
All times Eastern. Games involving non-Division I opponents are identified separately.
| Time | Game | TV/Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| 7 p.m. | Fairleigh Dickinson at Butler | ESPN+ |
| 7 p.m. | Maryland Eastern Shore at High Point | ESPN+ |
| 7 p.m. | Longwood at Saint Joseph's | ESPN+ |
| 7:30 p.m. | Cal State Northridge at Wichita State | ESPN+ |
| 8 p.m. | Southeastern Louisiana at Auburn | SEC Network+ |
| 8 p.m. | Northern Kentucky at South Dakota | Not confirmed |
| 9 p.m. | Radford at California | ACC Network Extra |
| 10 p.m. | Milwaukee at Santa Clara | ESPN+ |
| 10 p.m. | North Dakota State at Saint Mary's | ESPN+ |
| 10 p.m. | Queens at Loyola Marymount | ESPN+ |
Additional games against non-Division I opponents
| Time | Game | TV/Streaming |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30 p.m. | Framingham State at Dartmouth | ESPN+ |
| 7 p.m. | Virginia-Lynchburg at Morgan State | Not confirmed |
| 7 p.m. | Regent at Old Dominion | Not confirmed |
| 7 p.m. | Concordia Chicago at SIU Edwardsville | ESPN+ |
| 7 p.m. | Erskine at UNC Asheville | ESPN+ |
| 7 p.m. | Christendom at Appalachian State | Not confirmed |
| 7:30 p.m. | Central College at Drake | ESPN+ |
| 7:30 p.m. | Blue Mountain at Tennessee Tech | Not confirmed |
| 7:30 p.m. | Webster at Southeast Missouri State | ESPN+ |
| 7:30 p.m. | Champion Christian at Louisiana-Monroe | Not confirmed |
| 7:30 p.m. | Bob Jones at Furman | Not confirmed |
| 8 p.m. | Saint Mary-of-the-Woods at Southern Indiana | ESPN+ |
| 8 p.m. | Randolph at Norfolk State | Not confirmed |
| 9 p.m. | Salish Kootenai at Montana | ESPN+ |
| 9 p.m. | West Coast Baptist at Boise State | Pac-12 YouTube |
| 9 p.m. | Grace at Utah Tech | ESPN+ |
Auburn opens its season at home
Auburn hosts Southeastern Louisiana at 8 p.m. ET, giving the Tigers their first opportunity to establish an identity during the new campaign.
The Tigers have become a regular part of the national college basketball conversation, and Wednesday provides an opportunity to evaluate their rotation, defensive approach and offensive execution.
Southeastern Louisiana will be looking to challenge an SEC opponent on the road, making the game an interesting early measuring stick for both teams.
Butler and Saint Joseph's offer intriguing early tests
Butler hosts Fairleigh Dickinson at Hinkle Fieldhouse, while Saint Joseph's welcomes Longwood in another game involving two Division I programs.
Both games could provide useful early information about teams looking to establish momentum.
For Butler, the priority is beginning the season with a strong performance at home before the competition becomes more demanding. Saint Joseph's faces a Longwood program representing a Big South conference that has produced several dangerous mid-major teams.
Neither game will necessarily dominate the national headlines, but both deserve attention from fans interested in the broader Division I landscape.
The West Coast provides the late-night intrigue
Wednesday's most interesting late-night options include North Dakota State at Saint Mary's and Milwaukee at Santa Clara.
Saint Mary's has undergone a significant coaching transition following Randy Bennett's departure, making the Gaels one of the more intriguing programs to monitor early in the season.
North Dakota State offers a Division I opponent capable of providing a useful early test.
Santa Clara also begins its home schedule against Milwaukee, creating another opportunity to evaluate programs that could become relevant during conference play.
Queens visits Loyola Marymount in the same 10 p.m. ET window, giving the Royals another opportunity to build on their opening victory over Winthrop.
The Wednesday slate may not feature a top-25 showdown, but there are plenty of reasons to watch.
For college basketball fans, the opening week is an opportunity to discover the teams and players who could become important long before March arrives.
Add us as a preferred source on Google