Florida’s exhibition vs Baylor among top preseason hoops matchups

October 8, 2026 College Basketball

The Gator Nation awaits the return of Florida basketball with bated breath amidst high expectations for the coming season. Locked and loaded with one of the most talented rosters in the country, the Orange and Blue is primed for a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, and hopefully, a second national title in three years.

But before the regular season begins, Todd Golden’s gang has a pair of preseason games scheduled to help warm them up for the grueling campaign. The first one comes against the Baylor Bears — a matchup that CBS Sports writer David Cobb included among his top 10 October exhibition games on the college basketball slate.

“Florida is gunning for a third consecutive No. 1 seed as it returns the majority of its rotation and several stars who were part of the program’s 2025 national title run,” Cobb begins.

“Small forward Thomas Haugh will be a preseason All-American, while Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu might be the nation’s best 4-5 tandem. There isn’t much mystery here, but this will be the first look at a team that is widely expected to debut at No. 1 in the AP preseason poll later this month,” he continues.

“Baylor’s situation is intriguing after the Bears missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. Brothers Kayden Mingo and Dylan Bingo form a talented backcourt duo, but Baylor has a lot to prove before it will be considered among the Big 12’s elite teams again.”

Florida and Baylor are scheduled to tip off their preseason exhibition game on Sunday, Oct. 18, in Jacksonville, Florida, at 2 p.m. ET. Broadcast details have not been revealed as of yet.

1 / 1