The 2026-27 college basketball season doesn't officially start until November 1, when Villanova and Notre Dame square off in Rome, Italy, a day before the usual mass beginning on Nov. 2. But these days, you don't have to wait until November to get an insightful glimpse into the sport. October brings a deep list of big-time exhibition matchups between some of college basketball's top programs.
An early example comes Friday night, when North Carolina and USC will tangle in Greensboro, N.C. In the past, Power Five college teams usually played a secret scrimmage and one or two exhibition games against lower-level competition or even Division 2 teams. The NCAA relaxed rules surrounding exhibition games in 2025 that required an NCAA waiver and mandated that proceeds be donated to charity.
As a result, teams played more exhibitions than ever before the 2025-26 season. Now in Year 2 of the relaxed rules, even more programs have scheduled marquee exhibition matchups. The games don't officially count, but they will provide a window into how things are shaping up following another offseason of upheaval.
Rosters have remained in limbo longer than ever before amid a nationwide patchwork of legal cases around players seeking a fifth season of eligibility. Some of that is still being sorted out. But some actual basketball — even of the exhibition variety — will pull some focus away from the courtroom and redirect it to the court.
As a great run of exhibition games approaches, here's a chronological breakdown of the 10 most interesting games to monitor. Date: Oct. 8Time: 7:30 p.m. ET | Lake Charles, LouisianaTV: none Will Wade's second stint at LSU begins with a return to his old stomping grounds at McNeese.
In and of itself, that's a fun exhibition storyline as Wade takes on his former assistant, Bill Armstrong, and a Cowboys squad eyeing a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament trip. When you add in the element of uncertainty with LSU's roster, this one gets even more interesting. The Tigers' official roster still lists just four players, as numerous would-be Tigers remain in eligibility limbo.
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