It’s that time of year for college basketball fans — nonconference schedule release season. For South Florida fans, Year 1 under coach Bryan Hodgson comes into focus today with the unveiling of the Bulls’ nonconference slate.
The first two games of the 2025-26 season are about what one would expect out of the gate. Game 1 is an exhibition against Saint Leo University, a Division II school located in Saint Leo, Florida, which finished 10-18 in the 2024-25 season.
The official start of the season comes on Nov. 3 when the Bulls host the Florida A&M Rattlers. The SWAC foe was the 317th-ranked team in KenPom at the end of last season.
The Bulls will face a tougher challenge in their second contest of the season. USF will travel to Uncasville, Connecticut, to compete alongside three other teams in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off event. The Bulls will face off against the A-10’s George Washington. The Revolutionaries had a more than respectable season in 2024-25, finishing the year 21-13 and bowing out against George Mason in the conference tournament.
Leading scorer Rafael Castro (14.0 ppg) is back for his senior season along with fellow double-digit scorer Trey Autry (10.4 ppg). This has the potential to be a good game at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The third game sees USF return to Tampa to play Coppin State. The Eagles went 6-24 in the 2024-25 season.
Next up, the first-ever “Love Wins Classic” will be played on Nov. 16 as USF travels to Kennesaw, Georgia, in honor of late coach Amir Abdur-Rahim. Abdur-Rahim was the head coach at Kennesaw State for five seasons before heading to Tampa to lead the Bulls to the most wins in school history (25). Abdur-Rahim died right before the start of last season.
Senior guard Simeon Cottle will lead the Owls on the court. Cottle, who averaged 18.0 points last season, was Kennesaw State’s second-leading scorer and projects as one of Conference USA’s top offensive threats.
After games at Oklahoma State and against Georgia College & State, the Bulls will travel to the Bahamas for one of college basketball’s premium mid-season tournaments: The Battle 4 Atlantis. Their specific opponent is not yet known, but it’s safe to say that it will be a fun one.
Coming back home to the Yuengling Center, two of the better mid-major programs of the 2020s will make their way to Tampa: Utah State and the College of Charleston. The Aggies will be a tough opponent, having made the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three seasons, and return second-leading scorer Mason Falslev. Charleston is always competitive in the CAA as well.
Before closing nonconference play with a tune-up against UMBC, South Florida will face its marquee matchup of the slate at Alabama. The Crimson Tide will be without All-SEC guard Mark Sears, who left for the NBA, but newcomers Aden Holloway and Jalil Bethea should provide steady production for Nate Oats’ squad.
