As Santa Clara gears up for the 2025–26 season, there’s a quiet but growing sense of intrigue around this team. The Broncos have plenty of potential — a roster filled with unproven talent from power conferences and an exciting incoming recruiting class — but the same can be said for many of their non-conference opponents.
That’s the fascinating part of this schedule: nearly every opponent is undergoing its own transformation. With so much roster turnover and coaching change across the board, it’s difficult to measure tangible outcomes this early. But looking at each matchup, there’s reason to believe Santa Clara can set itself up well heading into conference play.
11/7 – McNeese State
McNeese State loses both its head coach and key contributors from last season. With that kind of turnover, the Broncos should be well-positioned to open with a win.
11/10 – @ Xavier
Xavier is starting completely fresh — they return zero minutes from last year’s roster. While the Musketeers still carry name-brand recognition, this version is a total unknown. Early in the season, Santa Clara’s cohesion (even if still forming) could be enough to pull an upset.
11/15 – Nevada
Nevada looks significantly weaker this year after losing their big man to the portal and Kobe Sanders to the draft. Last season’s loss to UNR felt more self-inflicted than anything — the Broncos’ lack of preparation showed. This time around, expect a much tighter performance and a realistic chance at redemption.
11/18 – Idaho State / 11/21 – Louisiana
Both of these are manageable games that should give Santa Clara valuable opportunities to find rhythm and rotation consistency. Wins are well within reach here.
11/27 – St. Louis (Acrisure Event, Palm Desert)
Santa Clara handled the Billikens comfortably last year, even with big man Robbie anchoring the middle. St. Louis’ guards simply couldn’t match Santa Clara’s pace — and that dynamic should hold true again.
11/28 – Minnesota or Stanford (Acrisure Event, Palm Desert)
Minnesota has turned over its coaching staff and several key contributors, so this feels like a very winnable matchup. Stanford, while typically disciplined, hasn’t fully rebuilt its depth yet. Either way, this is another chance for the Broncos to build résumé momentum.
12/3 – Utah Tech
Utah Tech will likely be overmatched. This one should be another confidence-building performance.
12/6 – @ New Mexico
New Mexico is in flux as well — their coach moved on, bringing several players with him, while star guard Donovan Dent transferred to UCLA. The Lobos’ identity is still forming, making this a toss-up game but one the Broncos can absolutely steal on the road.
12/13 – Arizona State (Las Vegas)
The Broncos haven’t fared well in Vegas historically, and ASU remains a tricky matchup. That said, this year’s Sun Devils are also young and untested, replenished with a large freshman class. Expect a scrappy, unpredictable game.
12/17 – North Texas (Santa Cruz)
Normally, North Texas would be a concern — their gritty defense and turnover creation have been their calling card. But this version of the Mean Green has been gutted, which opens the door for Santa Clara to dictate tempo and control the boards.
12/20 – Loyola Chicago (Santa Cruz)
Loyola will be tough. Despite a new coach and a blend of inexperienced returners and power-conference transfers, they’re always well-coached and disciplined. This one could go either way and should serve as a good late-December test.
Big Picture
It’s rare to see a schedule where almost every opponent is in some form of transition — and that’s exactly what makes this non-conference slate so interesting. The Broncos’ own youth and new pieces will have growing pains, but the parity across the schedule gives them a real chance to establish momentum before WCC play.
Ceiling: 9–4
Floor: 7–6
If the Broncos can find early chemistry and consistency, this could be one of the more quietly promising non-conference campaigns we’ve seen from Santa Clara in recent years.