The Big East conference announced the men’s basketball schedule Sept. 11, completing the Georgetown Hoyas’ calendar for the upcoming season.
The Hoyas, slated for a tougher non-conference schedule than last season, look to reestablish themselves as a college basketball heavyweight and will have an opportunity to do so immediately in conference play.
Before beginning the season, Georgetown will reignite the crosstown rivalry with George Washington University in a scrimmage Oct. 18. The two schools have not competed in basketball since 1981. Then, the Hoyas will play a second nationally-broadcasted scrimmage against the blue-blood University of Kentucky at Rupp Arena Oct. 30.
After an appearance in the finals of the GLOBL JAM tournament in Toronto, these two scrimmages — opened to the public by a new NCAA rule — will provide a final tune-up for Georgetown’s new players. The Hoyas were shorthanded in Canada, and should be at full strength in the preseason.
The nonconference portion of the schedule is headlined by high-major matchups including the University of Maryland, University of North Carolina, Clemson University and a Thanksgiving tournament with Brigham Young University, Dayton University and the University of Miami.
Georgetown has scheduled four high-major teams and Dayton — an incredibly successful mid-major — this year, compared to three mid-major teams last season. Last year, the Hoyas played three teams that made the NCAA tournament — all automatic qualifiers that did not make it past the round of 64. This year’s opponents have significantly more recent success; Maryland went to the Sweet 16, but subsequently lost their head coach to Villanova University.
Georgetown will begin its Big East schedule on the road against the Marquette Golden Eagles, who made the NCAA tournament last year, Dec. 17. The Hoyas will then host Xavier Dec. 20 in the home opener.
After a buy game against Coppin State University — whom the Hoyas blew past last year — over the holiday break, Georgetown will ring in the new year with a tough matchup against St. John’s at Capital One Arena.
The Hoyas will then open 2026 visiting DePaul University. Georgetown will return to Capital One Arena Jan. 10 against Seton Hall University.
By far the toughest stretch of the schedule will come in the middle of January, when the Hoyas face Creighton University, the University of Connecticut (UConn), Villanova and Providence College in a span of two weeks.
Creighton and UConn were both tournament teams last year and are perennial favorites. Villanova, with Kevin Willard at the helm and five-star recruit Acaden Lewis added, should be significantly improved over a disappointing year. Georgetown will also always be challenged at the Amica Mutual Pavilion, Providence’s arena, given the Friars’ fans less-than-favourable view of their former coach and his departure for D.C.
Then, after games against DePaul and Butler University, Georgetown will play Creighton, Villanova and UConn again in ten days. These games will be strong tests again, as the length of the season starts to grind down teams who begin preparing for postseason play.
In the final stretch of the regular season, the Hoyas will then host Butler before taking the drive up I-95 to Seton Hall. Last year, Georgetown began to falter with injuries and fatigue at this point in the season — with winnable games and a shot at the NCAA tournament bubble slipping away.
Feb. 24 against Marquette will be the final home game of the season with students on campus and should be a tough matchup. A two-game round trip will follow, first to Xavier and then St. John’s.
The Hoyas will end their season hosting burgeoning rival Providence. Fortunately for Providence head coach Kim English, the game falls during Georgetown’s spring break, and the visitors will not have to contend with a raucous student section again.
The Big East Tournament, at Madison Square Garden, will begin March 12.
