Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd has never been one to schedule a bunch of cupcakes in the non-conference slate in order to bolster the NET rankings heading into Big 12 play. While many of his colleagues do exactly that, Lloyd borrowed from his old boss, Mark Few at Gonzaga, consistently demonstrating a willingness to play anyone, anytime, and anywhere.
That’s why it is no surprise to see Arizona with one of – if not the – toughest non-conference schedules in all of college basketball. With multiple trips across the country and high-profile programs coming to Tucson, there will be no shortage of excellent basketball for Arizona fans to consume this season – starting right out of the gate against UCLA on opening night.
Below is a look at the 12 known non-conference opponents for Arizona this upcoming season, ranked in descending order of easiest to toughest:
12. Incarnate Word Cardinals (Dec. 28, 2026)
The Cardinals will take on Arizona a few days after Christmas, in what should be a nice tuneup game before Big 12 play gets underway…