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UIC Men’s Basketball Reveals 2026-27 Schedule

Non-conference matchups with Saint Mary’s and Miami (Ohio) and a challenging MVC slate highlight this year’s schedule

9/17/2026 10:00:00 AM

CHICAGO (Sept. 17, 2026) – The UIC men's basketball program is poised to take on no fewer than 11 teams that reached postseason play last year, as part of a challenging 2026-27 schedule released Thursday. The Flames' regular-season slate features three teams that reached the 2026 NCAA Tournament (Saint Mary's, Miami-Ohio and UNI), three others that joined UIC in last spring's National Invitation Tournament (NIT) and a matchup with an NAIA Tournament participant. On top of that, UIC will open with an Oct. 28 exhibition at 2026 NCAA Final Four participant Illinois
 
UIC is coming off a 19-win season and a third-place finish in the MVC, capped off by the school's first NIT berth since 2003, and the Flames' first-ever appearance in the MVC Tournament (Arch Madness) championship game. UIC also posted its highest overall KenPom rating since 2004 (No. 110) and highest defensive efficiency mark since 2008 (No. 91), along with its highest-ever NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool) ranking at No. 115. What's more, during head coach Rob Ehsan's first two years at UIC, the Flames have collected eight Quad 1 & 2 wins, the second-most in the MVC, as well as six wins over teams ranked in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll (four against top-10 squads).
 
Along with a sizable group of newcomers, UIC returns numerous key contributors this fall, including 2026 All-MVC Freshman Team guard Andy Johnson and two other rising young standouts who developed significantly during their freshman years in guard Rashund Washington Jr. and forward Jayce Nathaniel. The Flames will also benefit from critical veteran leadership through a pair of senior starters in guard Ahmad Henderson II and guard/forward Mekhi Lowery.

Some of the key contests for UIC's 2026-27 schedule are outlined below, while the full docket can be found here. Tipoff times, broadcast information and promotions for all UIC men's basketball games, will be announced in the coming weeks.
 
  • Oct. 28 at Illinois (exhibition) – NCAA Final Four qualifier; Big Ten runner-up; first meeting between the U of I system schools in any setting since 2015 and first visit to Champaign since 1997
  • Nov. 2 home vs. St. Francis – Season and home opener vs. two-time NAIA Tournament qualifier
  • Nov. 6 home vs. Robert Morris – Homecoming; Horizon League runner-up
  • Nov. 13 at Saint Mary's – NCAA Second Round participant; four-time defending West Coast Conference champion; first matchup between the schools since 1980-81 season
  • Nov. 18 home vs. Chicago State – Second annual Battle of the Dan Ryan; CSU's first visit to Credit Union 1 Arena since 2016
  • Nov. 22 vs. Miami-Ohio (Scout Jacksonville Classic at Jacksonville, Fla.) – NCAA Second Round participant; MAC regular-season champion
  • Dec. 2 home vs. Valparaiso – Conference opener
  • Dec. 12 at Milwaukee – Long-time Horizon League rival; first meeting since 2022 Horizon League Tournament (after which UIC left for the MVC)
  • Dec. 18 home vs. Charlotte – American Conference Tournament semifinalist; 49ers' first-ever visit to UIC
  • Dec. 21 at Missouri State – visit to former MVC and Mid-Continent Conference foe (first matchup with MSU since Bears left Valley for Conference USA prior to last season)
  • Dec. 29 at Murray State/Feb. 3 home vs. Murray State – NIT First Round participant; teams met three times last year (UIC won finale in MVC Tournament/Arch Madness quarterfinals)
  • Jan. 1 at Belmont/Jan. 24 home vs. Belmont – MVC regular-season champion; last year's matchup at Credit Union 1 Arena drew season-high 3,599 fans (second-largest crowd in past 10 years)
  • Jan. 19 home vs. Bradley/Feb. 6 at Bradley – NIT First Round participant; UIC swept both meetings with the Braves last year
  • Jan. 27 at UNI/Feb. 13 vs. UNI – Rematch of 2026 MVC Tournament (Arch Madness) title game won by UNI; NCAA Second Round participant; teams split two regular-season meetings
  • Jan. 30 home vs. Illinois State/Feb. 15 at Illinois State – NIT semifinalist; UIC swept both matchups with the Redbirds last year
  • March 4-7 – MVC Tournament/Arch Madness (St. Louis, Mo.) – First year of combined men's and women's basketball event; top 10 finishers qualify with top two seeds earning byes to semifinals
 
Season ticket packages for the 2026-27 Flames' men's basketball campaign are now on sale through the UIC Athletics Ticket Office, which can be reached by phone (312.413.8421) or e-mail (athleticsticketing@uic.edu).
 
For more information on UIC men's basketball, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_MBB and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_mbb and @uicflames).
 
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