Growing up comes with its share of stark realizations: Not everyone will be fond of you, parents can’t do everything right, and Rainbow Road? Well, it might be overhyped in the Mario Kart universe, among other things.
The same holds true for becoming a sports fan. At some stage, we all come to the crucial understanding that preseason games, well, they hold little significance.
For me, that moment was in 1991. I vividly remember the Detroit Lions losing a preseason game—against a team I can’t even recall—and there I was, a young Mike, an avid Barry Sanders fan, nearly in tears. My dad had to reassure me that, really, it “didn’t count.”
They were wearing their usual jerseys, there were actually fans in the stands, referees were calling the shots, and they kept score.
What sort of alternate reality had I stumbled into?
Even with the initial shock—akin to that awkward moment when you have to explain to a child that their beloved pet has gone to a “special” place—I eventually grasped the lesson, just like many of us do. Realizing that final scores in preseason games across the NFL, NBA, NHL, and other leagues should largely be disregarded is a universally recognized rite of passage for sports fans.
Now, those deeply entrenched in college basketball seem to be facing this lesson anew.
For those unaware, starting in the 2025-26 season, Division-I college basketball teams can compete in exhibition games against each other without needing a waiver from the NCAA. Previously, teams had to play these high-profile exhibition matches for charitable reasons and get NCAA approval.
This change means we’re now witnessing what feels like a more legit college basketball preseason, where genuine national title contenders face off against each other instead of racking up wins against teams from lower divisions.
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But this also means that, for a second consecutive season, some fans are absolutely losing their minds over these preseason games.
So far this October, we’ve seen some surprising results: Xavier taking down preseason No. 8 Tennessee, Seattle U beating Oregon, reigning national champion Michigan being pushed hard by Oregon State, Santa Clara besting Stanford, and Baylor surprising preseason No. 1 Florida.
Fortunately, reactions have been measured, and no one has overreacted.
(Here, I’ll note that the previous statement was sarcastic; there has indeed been quite a bit of panic and overreaction regarding the preseason game outcomes).
Learning lessons again as an adult can be tedious, but college basketball fans may need to revisit what preseason games signify if they’re to keep their sanity through early November.
The plus side of this being the second year with the new preseason setup is that we now have concrete examples to point to, demonstrating why clutching onto these results is misguided.
Just a year ago, consider these examples:
—Cincinnati triumphed over Michigan … The Bearcats went on to lose 15 games and missed the NCAA Tournament entirely, while the Wolverines ultimately claimed the national championship.
—Ole Miss defeated Houston … The Cougars earned a No. 2 seed, whereas Ole Miss dropped 20 games and finished near the bottom of the SEC.
—Creighton beat Iowa State … Creighton ended with a losing record, while Iowa State would eventually secure a No. 2 seed, only to beat Creighton by 18 in a real game during the official season.
—Kentucky took down Purdue but lost to Georgetown … In the end, the Wildcats performed poorly compared to the Boilermakers and far worse than the Hoyas.
—Nebraska, unranked, defeated No. 8 BYU … This one had a hint of prophetic insight, but the overall point remains valid.
It’s important to imprint this information into our minds as we brace for the upcoming slate of exhibition matches.
-Tennessee at Duke – 7pm – ACCN
-Connecticut at Michigan State – 7pm – BTN Plus
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21ST:
-Louisville at Kansas – 7pm – ESPNU
-Oregon at Utah – 8:30pm – ESPN Plus
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22ND:
-Virginia at Villanova – 7pm
-Auburn vs Alabama (Birmingham, AL) – 8pm
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23RD:
-Texas Tech at Kentucky – 7pm – SECN Plus
-Missouri at Kansas State – 8pm – ESPN Plus
-Baylor at Illinois – 8pm – BTN Plus
-Memphis at Mississippi State – 8pm
-USC at San Diego State – 10pm
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24TH:
-Georgia Tech at Providence – 12pm
-LSU at Florida State – 1pm – ACCNX
-Gonzaga at Arkansas – 4pm – SECN Plus
-BYU at UNLV – 4pm – MWC Plus
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25TH:
-Duke at Kansas – 1pm – ESPN
-Michigan State at Marquette – 1pm
-Houston at Michigan – 1pm
-Iowa State at Northwestern – 1pm – BTN Plus
-Butler at Ohio State – 2pm – BTN Plus
-Washington State at Washington – 4pm – BTN Plus
And this is just a fraction of the total matches scheduled until the season officially kicks off on Nov. 2.
There’s a high likelihood that a few of these contests will produce scores that incite strong reactions. Instinctively, we may want to jump to conclusions about which teams are serious contenders for the Final Four and which ones aren’t. But we must, and I mean must, resist that urge.
Think back to the early 1990s Buffalo Bills—the quintessential example of discovering that preseason games don’t really matter. Those teams lost, what, 15 consecutive preseason games? Yet, they still made it to the Super Bowl four years in a row.
Let the hot takes begin once the calendar flips, and there will certainly be ample opportunity after that. For now, let’s keep the excitement in check.
