The Pac-12 will “not be enforcing its men’s basketball nonconference scheduling quality standards” for the 2026-27 season, according to James Crepea of the Portland OREGONIAN. The reconstituted conference is mandating a team’s opponents have a “collective five-year average NET ranking of at least 175.” Road games against teams with a five-year average NET of 200 or over, games against non-D-I teams and road “buy” games are “not permitted.” The Pac-12 will play a 16-game conference schedule, which will begin after Jan. 1, leaving each of its nine basketball schools with 16 nonconference games to schedule independently. Pac-12 Associate Commissioner for Men’s Basketball Operations Drew Seidenberger said that the conference “may limit the number of non-Division I games its teams are permitted to play, which was a topic of discussion among athletic directors during this week’s Pac-12 spring meetings” (Portland OREGONIAN, 4/17).
Pac-12 not enforcing nonconference scheduling standards for 2026-27
