Five thoughts on Michigan’s 2025-26 non-conference schedule

Michigan announced its 2025-26 non-conference schedule on Friday morning, finalizing the docket for a season with high expectations. The Wolverines have an impressive balance of high-profile games, quality opposition, and even a non-conference game in February.

Here are five thoughts on the schedule and its implications for the 2025-26 Wolverines.

1. Duke game will have NCAA Tournament juice

To me, the perfect non-conference game is either on an island during Thanksgiving week or on a Saturday afternoon in December at one team’s home gym.

February showcase games in pro arenas that aren’t particularly close to either school are not that. For a college basketball purist, it’s a bit hard to reconcile with the fact that Michigan’s highest-profile non-conference game won’t be played until the final weeks of the regular season.

However, I’m starting to come around on the idea.

First off, this is the sort of game that has the juice to pull it off. This should be a clash of two top ten teams at a venue where I think both can draw. The crowd should lean toward Duke, but a motivated Michigan fan base could turn out in D.C., like we saw at the Big Ten Tournament years ago.

More importantly, this game has the chance to feel like a legitimate NCAA Tournament dress rehearsal. The East regional is scheduled to be played in the same arena five weeks later, and both schools will be vying for a protected seed in the East. There’s a non-zero chance of an NCAA Tournament rematch in the same spot.

Given the recent dip in ACC quality, it is a riskier game to schedule for Michigan (and a game that Duke needs more than Michigan) but it should be a high-profile inflection point in the season where focus shifts toward title races and tournaments.