You’ve felt it. That specific, buzzing tension in the air at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall when the lights dim and the "Martha the Mop Lady" video starts playing. It’s more than just a game; it’s a religion in Bloomington. But this year, the IU men’s bb schedule isn’t just another calendar of games. It is a gauntlet.
Coach Darian DeVries has stepped into a high-pressure cooker, replacing Mike Woodson and bringing his son, Tucker DeVries, along for what is arguably the most transformative season in recent Indiana history. If you're looking at the remaining 2025-26 schedule and thinking it’s business as usual, you’re missing the shift. The Big Ten is bigger, the rivalries are weirder, and the road to Chicago for the conference tournament is paved with West Coast landmines.
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The Brutal Reality of the IU Men's BB Schedule Right Now
We are officially in the thick of it. January is when the pretenders start looking for the exit, and the Hoosiers are staring down a stretch that would make most programs blink. Honestly, if you haven't circled January 27 on your kitchen calendar yet, are you even a fan? That’s when Purdue comes to Bloomington.
9 p.m. ET. Peacock.
Yeah, it’s on a streaming service, which still feels kinda wrong for the biggest rivalry in the state, but that’s the world we live in now. Before we even get to that slugfest, the Hoosiers have to deal with a hungry Iowa team on January 17 and a trip to Ann Arbor to face Michigan on the 20th. There is no "easy" week.
Breaking Down the January and February Grind
The schedule is built like a tiered boss fight. You’ve got the regional rivals, and then you’ve got the new guys.
- Jan 17: Iowa at Bloomington (2:00 PM, FOX)
- Jan 20: at Michigan (7:00 PM, Peacock)
- Jan 23: at Rutgers (6:00 PM, FS1)
- Jan 27: Purdue at Bloomington (9:00 PM, Peacock)
- Jan 31: at UCLA (5:00 PM, Peacock)
- Feb 03: at USC (10:00 PM, Peacock)
That West Coast swing at the end of January is the real wildcard. IU hasn't played a regular-season game in Los Angeles since 1960. Think about that. Most of the people reading this weren't even born yet. Taking a team into Pauley Pavilion and then the Galen Center back-to-back is a logistical nightmare and a physical drain.
Why the Non-Conference Foundation Matters
People love to complain about "buy games" in November. They see names like Alabama A&M or Bethune-Cookman and roll their eyes. But look at how DeVries used those. He wasn't just hunting for wins; he was trying to find a rotation.
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Remember the Marquette game back on November 9 at the United Center? That 1 p.m. tip-off on ESPN was the first real "vibe check" for this squad. They followed it up with a massive road test at Rupp Arena against Kentucky on December 13. Losing or winning those games isn't the point in the long run—it’s about the callouses they built. By the time Penn State rolled into Assembly Hall on December 9, the Hoosiers had already seen the fastest guards in the country.
Key Matchups You Can't Ignore
The Purdue Double-Header
It's the only game that truly stops traffic in Indiana. This year, we get them twice. After the January 27 home game, IU travels to the "Octagon of Doom"—Mackey Arena—on February 20. That 8 p.m. tip on FOX will likely have massive implications for Big Ten seeding.
The New Blood: Oregon and Washington
The expansion of the Big Ten changed the IU men's bb schedule forever. Seeing Oregon come to Bloomington on February 9 feels like a fever dream. It’s an 8:30 p.m. FS1 game that brings a completely different style of play—fast-paced, athletic, and chaotic—into the traditional Big Ten ecosystem.
How to Actually Watch These Games
This is where it gets tricky. If you're a casual fan, you’re going to be frustrated. The TV designations are all over the map this year. You’ve got games on FOX, FS1, CBS, and the Big Ten Network.
But then there's Peacock.
For 2025-26, Indiana is featured on Peacock five times. Four of those are away games. If you don't have a subscription, you’re going to miss the Purdue game in Bloomington and the entire L.A. road trip. It’s a bummer, but it’s the price of being in a premier conference.
What the "Experts" Get Wrong About This Roster
The narrative all summer was about the transfer portal. Sure, Myles Rice and Oumar Ballo (the big man from Arizona) were the headliners, but the real story is how Darian DeVries is blending his "Iowa style" with the existing Indiana talent.
Most analysts thought the transition would be clunky. They saw the schedule and predicted a slow start. But the Hoosiers have shown a surprising amount of grit in late-game situations. They aren't just relying on talent; they're playing a brand of "positionless" basketball that we haven't seen in Bloomington for a decade.
The March Horizon
Everything on the IU men's bb schedule leads to the United Center. The 2026 Big Ten Tournament runs from March 10 to March 15. For the first time, it’s an 18-team field. That means the bottom seeds are going to be playing on Tuesday, and the path to the Sunday championship is now a five-game marathon.
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IU finishes the regular season with a crucial stretch:
- Feb 24: vs Northwestern (7 p.m., FS1)
- Mar 01: vs Michigan State (3:45 p.m., CBS)
- Mar 04: vs Minnesota (6:30 p.m., BTN)
- Mar 07: at Ohio State (5:30 p.m., FOX)
Ending with three out of four at home is a massive gift from the schedule makers. If they can protect the home floor in late February, they’ll walk into Chicago with a double-bye and a legitimate shot at a top-4 seed.
Actionable Steps for the Rest of the Season
If you're planning to follow the Hoosiers through the home stretch, you need to be proactive. Tickets for the remaining home games at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall are basically non-existent on the primary market, but you can still find them on secondary sites if you're willing to pay the "Assembly Hall Tax."
- Audit your streaming: Make sure your Peacock and B1G+ subscriptions are active before the Jan 27 Purdue game. Nothing kills the mood like a "password reset" email ten minutes before tip-off.
- Track the NET Rankings: Since the schedule is heavy on "Quad 1" opportunities in February (at Illinois, at Purdue), keep an eye on how those teams are performing. A win at Illinois on February 15 could be the difference between a 4-seed and a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
- Check Tip Times: With the West Coast games, keep an eye on those late starts. The USC game on February 3 doesn't start until 10 p.m. ET. Stock up on coffee.
The 2026 season is a bridge between the old Indiana and whatever DeVries is building. The schedule is the test. Whether this team passes or fails depends on how they handle the travel miles in late January and the emotional fatigue of the Purdue rivalry in February. Grab your jersey. It's going to be a long winter.