Men’s Basketball Releases Non-Conference Schedule

HOUSTON – The University of Houston Men's Basketball program will play host to seven home games inside Fertitta Center during its 2025-26 non-conference regular-season schedule, Head Coach Kelvin Sampson announced Wednesday.

Houston meets Mississippi State on Sunday, Oct. 26, inside the Fort Bend Epicenter in Rosenberg, Texas. That game will be part of The Preview CBB Exhibition doubleheader with Texas A&M facing Arizona State.

The regular season begins on Monday, Nov. 3, when they Cougars face Lehigh inside Fertitta Center. With his team's first win of the year, Sampson will join an elite group of coaches who have won 800 games during their careers.

From there, Houston will play host to Towson (Saturday, Nov. 8) and Oakland (Wednesday, Nov. 12) before meeting Auburn during the RxBenefits Battleground 2k25 inside Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Ala., on Sunday, Nov. 16.

The Cougars then meet Rider for the first time in program history on Thursday, Nov. 20, inside Fertitta Center before taking part in the prestigious Players Era Championship in Las Vegas on Nov. 24-26.

There, the Cougars will meet Syracuse (Nov. 24) and Tennessee (Nov. 25) before an opponent to be determined on Nov. 26.

The Cougars return to Houston to meet Florida State inside Toyota Center during the Houston Hoops Showdown on Saturday, Dec. 6.

Following home games against Jackson State (Wednesday, Dec. 10) and New Orleans (Saturday, Dec. 13) inside Fertitta Center, the Cougars meet Arkansas inside Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., during the Never Forget Tribute Classic on Saturday, Dec. 20.

From there, the Cougars close their non-conference schedule when they play host to Middle Tennessee inside Fertitta Center on Monday, Dec. 29.

ABOUT the COUGARS
Houston returns three starters and seven lettermen in 2025-26, including All-Big 12 Conference honoree and Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team member Milos Uzan, Phillips 66 Big12 Championship Most Outstanding Player and NCAA Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player guard Emanuel Sharp and Naismith Awards National Defensive Player of the Year presented by MOLECULE finalist and Lefty Driesell Award recipient Joseph Tugler.

The Cougars will be boosted with the addition one of the nation's top recruiting classes with freshman forward Chris Cenac Jr., freshman guard Isiah Harwell, freshman point guard Kingston Flemings, freshman guard Bryce Jackson and senior forward Kalifa Sakho.

In 2024-25, the Cougars set a school single-season record with 35 wins and advanced to the NCAA Tournament National Championship Game inside Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Houston, which finished #2 in both national polls, won 31 of its final 33 games to end the season and advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the seventh time in program history – and the second time under Sampson – with a resounding 69-50 win over #6/6 (2) Tennessee during the NCAA Elite Eight in Indianapolis on March 30.

The Cougars swept the Big 12 regular-season and tournament championships in their second year in the league and set school and league records with a 19-1 mark in conference games. Houston became the first school to join a major conference and win the regular-season title in each of its first two years in the league in more than 100 years.

Houston posted a perfect 10-0 record in road games in Big 12 play, becoming the first program in NCAA Division I history to accomplish that feat in a season, and enter the 2025-26 season with the nation's longest active road winning streak at 14 straight games.

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SUPPORT YOUR COOGS
Fans can make a direct impact on the success of Houston Men's Basketball by providing NIL opportunities and by joining the 50-50 Club, which provides financial support directly to Houston Men's Basketball for needs beyond its operating budget.

Fans who join the 50-50 Club will receive embroidered Jordan Brand team apparel, invitations to exclusive events, regular updates about the program and much more.

STAY CONNECTED
Fans can receive updates by following @UHCougarMBK on X and catch up with the latest news and notes on the team by clicking LIKE on the team's Facebook page at UHCougarMBK or by visiting the team's Instagram page at UHCougarMBK.

– UHCougars.com –

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