Big Ten Unveils 2026 Baseball Opponents
6/20/2025 10:00:00 AM | Baseball
ROSEMONT, Ill. – Each of the 17 baseball programs in the Big Ten learned their conference dates and opponents this month for the 2026 season. For the second-straight year, each team will play 10 league weekends with an additional series against a non-conference opponent worked in the 11-week slate.
During next year's campaign, head coach Jeff Mercer and the Hoosiers will face all six schools they didn't play in 2025. The only holdover opponents are regionally-protected rivalries against Illinois and Purdue as well as series against Maryland and Iowa.
After facing the two Los Angeles schools in their debut season, IU will meet Washington and Oregon in 2026 for the first time as Big Ten foes. The Hoosiers host Washington in Bloomington (March 6-8) to open the conference slate before making the trip to Eugene (March 13-15) for the first weekend meeting all-time against the Ducks.
Minnesota (March 20-22) comes to town for the first time since 2022 before IU heads back to Lincoln to face Nebraska (March 27-29) for the second time in three years. Home weekends against Rutgers (April 3-5) and Iowa (24-26) highlight the April slate. IU will head to Maryland (April 10-12) to face a familiar foe in its only road conference series of the month.
IU's bye weekend during the 11-week stretch of conference play comes from April 17-19. Last season, IU's bye weekend came at the beginning of May and featured a three-game sweep at Abilene Christian. If IU were to play at home next season – it would give Mercer and the Hoosiers three home weekends in April.
May features a trio of regional rivalries – including back-to-back weekends at Northwestern (May 1-3) and Purdue (May 8-10). The Hoosiers close the 2026 regular season with an annual series against Illinois (May 14-16). The Big Ten Tournament in Omaha is set to be played from May 19-24.
The rest of the 56-game regular season schedule will be released this fall.
During next year's campaign, head coach Jeff Mercer and the Hoosiers will face all six schools they didn't play in 2025. The only holdover opponents are regionally-protected rivalries against Illinois and Purdue as well as series against Maryland and Iowa.
After facing the two Los Angeles schools in their debut season, IU will meet Washington and Oregon in 2026 for the first time as Big Ten foes. The Hoosiers host Washington in Bloomington (March 6-8) to open the conference slate before making the trip to Eugene (March 13-15) for the first weekend meeting all-time against the Ducks.
Minnesota (March 20-22) comes to town for the first time since 2022 before IU heads back to Lincoln to face Nebraska (March 27-29) for the second time in three years. Home weekends against Rutgers (April 3-5) and Iowa (24-26) highlight the April slate. IU will head to Maryland (April 10-12) to face a familiar foe in its only road conference series of the month.
IU's bye weekend during the 11-week stretch of conference play comes from April 17-19. Last season, IU's bye weekend came at the beginning of May and featured a three-game sweep at Abilene Christian. If IU were to play at home next season – it would give Mercer and the Hoosiers three home weekends in April.
May features a trio of regional rivalries – including back-to-back weekends at Northwestern (May 1-3) and Purdue (May 8-10). The Hoosiers close the 2026 regular season with an annual series against Illinois (May 14-16). The Big Ten Tournament in Omaha is set to be played from May 19-24.
The rest of the 56-game regular season schedule will be released this fall.
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