The NBA released its 2026-27 schedule, and multiple games will be played inside college arenas. Three games are scheduled to take place on college campuses, bringing NBA basketball to new cities and unique venues. The Utah Jazz and Denver Nuggets will play at Colorado’s CU Events Center, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Indiana Pacers will play at Iowa State’s Hilton Coliseum, and the NBA Cup Final will be played inside Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The NBA Cup has been played in Las Vegas over the last few seasons, but NBA Commissioner Adam Silver wants to bring the league to iconic college basketball venues.
Hilton Coliseum is one of the best venues in college basketball, and it will be packed for the preseason game on Oct. 7.The Pacers will head to Ames, Iowa, for a Tyrese Haliburton homecoming. Haliburton played for the Cyclones for two seasons before declaring for the NBA Draft following his 2019-20 sophomore season. He was a Second-Team All-Big 12 selection and was selected No. 12 overall by the Kings after averaging 15.2 points per game.
The Denver Nuggets should also attract people living in Boulder who would like to attend an NBA game. University of Colorado graduates and residents of Boulder will likely fill the 11,064-seat arena.
The NBA has an opportunity to capitalize on this idea and continue bringing NBA games to college arenas. The State Farm Center would be a great place to host a Bulls, Timberwolves, Bucks, Wizards or Clippers game. Champaign residents would get the opportunity to see their in-state NBA team or a former Illini play at the next level in their backyard.
The Bulls and Timberwolves are scheduled to play a preseason game on Friday, Oct. 16, and that would be the perfect opportunity for an NBA game to come to the State Farm Center. Many people in Champaign are Bulls fans, while the Timberwolves have two iconic former Illini in Ayo Dosunmu and Terrence Shannon Jr.
Dosunmu was traded to the Timberwolves last season and is expected to have a major role on the team next season. Shannon Jr. has not played as much at the NBA level, but he should have an increased role next season.
Ayo and TSJ could return to the arena where their jerseys hang in the rafters to play against Caleb Wilson and the Bulls. The game would likely sell out and give a preseason matchup some extra juice that it otherwise might not have.