The Colorado men’s basketball team will prep for its return season in the Big 12 Conference by taking on some of the nation’s top programs at the annual Maui Invitational.
Besides that late November journey, the Buffaloes will lean heavily on home cooking to get ready for the rigors of the Big 12.
On Monday, CU announced its nonconference schedule for the 2024-25 season, a slate that features eight home games in addition to the three dates in Maui. Those eight home games are highlighted by a visit from the Colorado State Rams on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Head coach Tad Boyle said the challenges of the Big 12, combined with the stellar three-game field in Maui, left CU seeking a home-heavy slate. The matchup against CSU will start a two-for-one agreement between the programs, with a pair of games guaranteed in Boulder and a fourth matchup possible in Fort Collins.
“We’ll play 23 high-major games. Twenty-four really, because I’d put Colorado State in there as well. They beat us last year and we had a heck of a team,” Boyle said. “But to have 24 games on your schedule that are going to be dogfights … and not that the other ones aren’t. South Dakota State is an NCAA Tournament team. Tommy Amaker does a great job at Harvard.
“It’s a really, really good schedule. Especially given the fact we lost six guys who were major, major contributors.”
The Buffs’ 15th season under Boyle tips off on college basketball’s opening night on Monday, Nov. 4 against Eastern Washington. Home dates against Northern Colorado (Nov. 8), Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 13) and Harvard (Nov. 17) will take place prior to the trip to Maui.
CU begins play in Maui on Nov. 25, with three games in three days against a field that will include Dayton, Memphis, Auburn, Michigan State, Iowa State, North Carolina, and two-time defending national champion UConn. Specific matchups will be released at a later date, but CU is all but certain to start on the opposite side of the bracket as Iowa State, as the programs are scheduled for a home-and-home series in the Big 12 this season (teams agreed to play in the 2024 Maui Invitational prior to the latest round of conference realignment).
The Buffs return home to play Pacific for the first time in team history (Dec. 2) before renewing acquaintances with the CSU Rams. CU completes the nonconference schedule against South Dakota State (Dec. 13) and Bellarmine (Dec. 21).
Like the most recent arrangement with CU, the Buffs will make a return trip to Fort Collins in the 2025-26 season, with the Rams again visiting Boulder in 2026-27. If CSU’s average three-year NET ranking (2024-25 through 2026-27) is in the top 100, there will be a second matchup in Fort Collins (fourth overall) in 2027-28.
“I think you have to schedule based on the team you think you’re going to have, and we’re going to have to play some guys that haven’t played at this level before,” Boyle said. “You need opportunities to do that and hopefully still win basketball games. That’s what we tried to do.”
Last month, the Big 12 announced its league pairings for the first season as a 16-team conference. CU will play five opponents in two-game, home-and-home sets (Arizona State, Central Florida, Iowa State, Kansas, TCU) while playing the other 10 foes once apiece. CU will host Baylor, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and West Virginia while playing Arizona, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Utah on the road.
Tipoff times and television information for all games will be announced at a later date.