The Miami Hurricanes are opening the upcoming season against Florida, the team sitting at No. 1 in ESPN's updated 2026-27 way-too-early top 25, and they will do it with their own preseason buzz after landing at No. 19.
The season opener is set.
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) June 1, 2026
We’ll face Florida in Tampa on November 2nd 🙌 pic.twitter.com/n9MywCcUvy
Miami gets Florida on opening night
Miami will open the 2026-27 season against Florida on Nov. 2 at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa as part of the Orion180 Tip-Off Classic. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will air nationally on ESPN2.
ESPN's latest way-too-early list, updated after the NBA draft withdrawal deadline, has Florida at No. 1 and Miami at No. 19. Florida staying at the top is not a surprise after the Gators brought back a stacked core. Rueben Chinyelu withdrew from the NBA draft and returned to Florida after averaging 10.9 points and 11.2 rebounds with 19 double-doubles last season. Florida returns 11 players from the team that won the 2025-26 SEC championship, with Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh and Boogie Fland among the key names back.
In Jai Lucas' first season, the Hurricanes finished 26-9 and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed. The 19-win improvement tied the NCAA record for the largest turnaround. It also put a new sense of pressure on the program.
A strong showing against Florida would echo across the sport. A good run through the non-conference schedule would keep Miami in the top-25 before ACC play begins.
Lucas has moved Miami into a different era
The biggest change around Miami basketball is the expectation level. Last year, any early sign of life was encouraging. Now, the Hurricanes are potentially going to open as a ranked team, with a transfer-heavy roster and a schedule built for the moment.
There is risk and reward in that. A rough opener against the No. 1 team would immediately remind everyone how far Miami still has to climb. But, if Miami is up for the challenge on Nov. 2, the Hurricanes would be projected to make a tournament run. And that is light years ahead of where they were in 2024-25.
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