Sunday, October 25
Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, Mich.
Noon CT
University of Houston
vs
Michigan (exhibition)
10/24/2026 7:39:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Buy The Battleground 2k26 TicketsBuy Home Single-Game TicketsSeason Ticket Wait ListWatch (B1G+)Live Stats (StatBroadcast)Houston Game Notes (PDF)Michigan Statistics (PDF)
Cougars face Wolverines in The Battleground 2k26 inside Van Andel Arena in final exhibition of season
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The #10/8 University of Houston Men's Basketball program closes its exhibition schedule when it faces #16/20 Michigan during The Battleground 2k26 inside Van Andel Arena at Noon (CDT) Sunday.
This will be the Cougars' second exhibition of the 2026-27 after. Under the leadership of Head Coach Kelvin Sampson – now in his 13th season at Houston – the Cougars took a 110-53 win over Montana Tech inside Fertitta Center on Oct. 15.
Sophomore forward Chase McCarty drained five 3-pointers in six attempts and led all players with 19 points in the win. Fifth-year forward Delrecco Gillespie totaled 13 points, hitting all five shots from the field, while sophomore point guard Kordel Jefferson totaled 12 points. Making their Houston debuts, freshman guard Ikenna Alozie and freshman center Arafan Diané finished with 11 points apiece while senior forward Joseph Tugler added 10 points and led all players with nine rebounds.
AMONG the NATION'S BEST
• The Cougars were ranked in the Top 10 in both national preseason polls. It marked the seventh consecutive season in which Houston was ranked in both in both national preseason polls with Top 10 showings in each of the last five years.
• Houston owns the nation's longest active streak with 127 consecutive weeks in the Associated Press poll. That ranks as the 13th longest streak in NCAA history, according to CollegePollArchive.com.
• The Cougars are 10-2 when playing as the #10 (AP) team and have won their last seven games at that ranking.
• Houston also has been ranked in the AP Top 10 in each of the last 32 weeks. That is the nation's second-longest active streak and trails only Duke (38).
WELCOME BACK, REEK
• Sunday's game will be a homecoming of sorts for fifth-year forward Delrecco Gillespie.
• Gillespie, who is in his first season at Houston, hails from Benton Harbor, Mich., which is located about 80 miles southwest of Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Gillespie was an award-winning student-athlete for four years at Kent State before transferring to Houston this summer. He was a member of the All-MAC First Team and All-MAC Defensive Team as a senior in 2025-26 and was a three-time MAC Player of the Week.
• He received his bachelor's degree from Kent State in integrated studies in 2026.
BUY THE BATTLEGROUND 2k26 TICKETS
Fans can purchase tickets for Sunday's The Battleground 2k26 exhibition game by clicking here.
BUY REGULAR-SEASON TICKETS
Regular-season single-game home tickets for all games inside Fertitta Center are on sale now, and fans are encouraged to purchase quickly while supplies last. Houston will play host to 17 home games inside Fertitta Center with eight in non-conference play and nine in Big 12 action in 2026-27.
Fans interested in purchasing group tickets may complete this form to be contacted by a member of the Houston Athletics Tickets Sales staff.
Non-season ticket holders interested in purchasing season tickets are invited to place their names on the Season Ticket Wait List by clicking here.
TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Sunday's game on B1G+ with Bob Brainerd (play-by-play) and Brian Butch (analyst) calling. A subscription may be required to watch B1G+.
• Fans can follow live stats from Sunday's exhibition game on StatBroadcast.
ABOUT MICHIGAN
• Michigan is ranked #16 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll and stood at #20 in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll.
• In 2025-26, Michigan finished with a 37-3 overall record and 19-1 mark in Big Ten play.
• The Wolverines won the NCAA national championship and the Big Ten regular-season title.
• Senior guard Elliot Cadeau is Michigan's leading returnee after averaging 10.5 points, 5.9 assists and 0.9 steals per game. Sophomore guard Trey McKenney posted 9.9 points per game last season and is the Wolverines' leading returning rebounder with 2.8 per contest.
• Head Coach Mike Boynton Jr. is in his first season at Michigan and his eighth year as a collegiate head coach.
• Boynton built a 119-109 record with Oklahoma State (2017-24).
• Boynton is 1-3 against Houston during his career,
• Boynton is 1-3 against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• Boynton is a 2004 graduate of South Carolina.
SERIES HISTORY vs. MICHIGAN
• Michigan holds a 3-1 lead in the series, which began during the 1962-63 season.
• Sunday's game will be the first meeting against the Wolverines since the 2017-18 season.
• In the most recent meeting, #7/7 Michigan took a 64-63 win over the #21/19 Cougars during the NCAA Tournament West Region Second Round inside InTrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan., on March 17, 2018.
• In the first meeting against Michigan, the Wolverines claimed a 90-89 win in four overtimes during the Holiday Classic inside Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston on Dec. 21, 1962.
at Neutral Site: Michigan owns a 1-0 lead in games played at neutral sites during the series.
• In the lone previous neutral-site meeting, #7/7 Michigan took a 64-63 win over the #21/19 Cougars during the NCAA Tournament West Region Second Round inside InTrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan., on March 17, 2018.
UP NEXT
• Following Sunday's game, Houston opens its 2026-27 regular-season schedule when it plays host to La Salle at 8 p.m., Monday, Nov. 2, inside Fertitta Center.
• It will be the first meeting against the Explorers since the 1975-76 season.
• That Nov. 2 game can be seen on CBS Sports Network
• From the Cougars head west to face California during the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic inside Tahoe Blue Event Center at 7:30 p.m. (CT), Nov. 8. That game will air on CW.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC, SiriusXM and the Varsity Network app.
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.
This will be the Cougars' second exhibition of the 2026-27 after. Under the leadership of Head Coach Kelvin Sampson – now in his 13th season at Houston – the Cougars took a 110-53 win over Montana Tech inside Fertitta Center on Oct. 15.
Sophomore forward Chase McCarty drained five 3-pointers in six attempts and led all players with 19 points in the win. Fifth-year forward Delrecco Gillespie totaled 13 points, hitting all five shots from the field, while sophomore point guard Kordel Jefferson totaled 12 points. Making their Houston debuts, freshman guard Ikenna Alozie and freshman center Arafan Diané finished with 11 points apiece while senior forward Joseph Tugler added 10 points and led all players with nine rebounds.
AMONG the NATION'S BEST
• The Cougars were ranked in the Top 10 in both national preseason polls. It marked the seventh consecutive season in which Houston was ranked in both in both national preseason polls with Top 10 showings in each of the last five years.
• Houston owns the nation's longest active streak with 127 consecutive weeks in the Associated Press poll. That ranks as the 13th longest streak in NCAA history, according to CollegePollArchive.com.
• The Cougars are 10-2 when playing as the #10 (AP) team and have won their last seven games at that ranking.
• Houston also has been ranked in the AP Top 10 in each of the last 32 weeks. That is the nation's second-longest active streak and trails only Duke (38).
WELCOME BACK, REEK
• Sunday's game will be a homecoming of sorts for fifth-year forward Delrecco Gillespie.
• Gillespie, who is in his first season at Houston, hails from Benton Harbor, Mich., which is located about 80 miles southwest of Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Gillespie was an award-winning student-athlete for four years at Kent State before transferring to Houston this summer. He was a member of the All-MAC First Team and All-MAC Defensive Team as a senior in 2025-26 and was a three-time MAC Player of the Week.
• He received his bachelor's degree from Kent State in integrated studies in 2026.
BUY THE BATTLEGROUND 2k26 TICKETS
Fans can purchase tickets for Sunday's The Battleground 2k26 exhibition game by clicking here.
BUY REGULAR-SEASON TICKETS
Regular-season single-game home tickets for all games inside Fertitta Center are on sale now, and fans are encouraged to purchase quickly while supplies last. Houston will play host to 17 home games inside Fertitta Center with eight in non-conference play and nine in Big 12 action in 2026-27.
Fans interested in purchasing group tickets may complete this form to be contacted by a member of the Houston Athletics Tickets Sales staff.
Non-season ticket holders interested in purchasing season tickets are invited to place their names on the Season Ticket Wait List by clicking here.
TUNE IN
• Fans can watch Sunday's game on B1G+ with Bob Brainerd (play-by-play) and Brian Butch (analyst) calling. A subscription may be required to watch B1G+.
• Fans can follow live stats from Sunday's exhibition game on StatBroadcast.
ABOUT MICHIGAN
• Michigan is ranked #16 in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 poll and stood at #20 in the preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches poll.
• In 2025-26, Michigan finished with a 37-3 overall record and 19-1 mark in Big Ten play.
• The Wolverines won the NCAA national championship and the Big Ten regular-season title.
• Senior guard Elliot Cadeau is Michigan's leading returnee after averaging 10.5 points, 5.9 assists and 0.9 steals per game. Sophomore guard Trey McKenney posted 9.9 points per game last season and is the Wolverines' leading returning rebounder with 2.8 per contest.
• Head Coach Mike Boynton Jr. is in his first season at Michigan and his eighth year as a collegiate head coach.
• Boynton built a 119-109 record with Oklahoma State (2017-24).
• Boynton is 1-3 against Houston during his career,
• Boynton is 1-3 against Houston Head Coach Kelvin Sampson during their careers.
• Boynton is a 2004 graduate of South Carolina.
SERIES HISTORY vs. MICHIGAN
• Michigan holds a 3-1 lead in the series, which began during the 1962-63 season.
• Sunday's game will be the first meeting against the Wolverines since the 2017-18 season.
• In the most recent meeting, #7/7 Michigan took a 64-63 win over the #21/19 Cougars during the NCAA Tournament West Region Second Round inside InTrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan., on March 17, 2018.
• In the first meeting against Michigan, the Wolverines claimed a 90-89 win in four overtimes during the Holiday Classic inside Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston on Dec. 21, 1962.
at Neutral Site: Michigan owns a 1-0 lead in games played at neutral sites during the series.
• In the lone previous neutral-site meeting, #7/7 Michigan took a 64-63 win over the #21/19 Cougars during the NCAA Tournament West Region Second Round inside InTrust Bank Arena in Wichita, Kan., on March 17, 2018.
UP NEXT
• Following Sunday's game, Houston opens its 2026-27 regular-season schedule when it plays host to La Salle at 8 p.m., Monday, Nov. 2, inside Fertitta Center.
• It will be the first meeting against the Explorers since the 1975-76 season.
• That Nov. 2 game can be seen on CBS Sports Network
• From the Cougars head west to face California during the Caesars Lake Tahoe Classic inside Tahoe Blue Event Center at 7:30 p.m. (CT), Nov. 8. That game will air on CW.
• All Houston Men's Basketball games can be heard on 950 AM KPRC, SiriusXM and the Varsity Network app.
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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