The preseason AP Top 25 basketball poll is officially here, and Florida State will be playing against a stream of very talented teams this season. The Seminoles will face eight preseason-ranked teams this season, including five programs in the top ten. It is not going to be an easy road for coach Luke Loucks in Year 2, but this is the rigor that the coach expected to face.
The schedule for the upcoming season will be difficult to navigate, but on the bright side, Loucks will be getting Alex Steen back after his fifth year of eligibility was granted. Steen was an important part of Loucks' Year 1 team, and his return should help give Loucks something he did not have last year: an array of height.
Florida State will face five of the top ten teams in the country during the 2026-27 season
After opening the season against Florida A&M and Troy, the Seminoles will quickly be thrown into the fire against No. 1 Florida. Florida State has lost the last five meetings in a row, including a 78-76 loss last season with Loucks leading the team. The Seminoles were blown out in the previous four games in a row against the Gators, and the narrow loss last season could be a sign of better things to come this year.
The Gators will be bringing back one of the most fearsome squads in college basketball, with the addition of the dynamic Denzel Aberdeen, who rejoins the team after spending last season with Kentucky.
Less than a month later, on December 1, Florida State will be playing against the team that could rival Florida in the SEC, the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers. The Seminoles have a home court advantage against the Gators, but must travel into dangerous territory to face the Volunteers. Tennessee has lost just four home games in the past two seasons, and with a lineup consisting of all-star transfer portal additions, Florida State might have a difficult night in the Food City Center this season.
Florida State will hit another ranked roadblock on December 20 against No. 10 Houston for the Jacksonville Hoops Showdown. The Seminoles went 1-4 last season in neutral-site games, including an 82-67 loss to the Cougars in the Houston Hoops Showdown.
The Seminoles will have a nice break in the ranked action before facing off against No. 14 Miami on February 6. Miami and Florida State split the series last season, giving the Hurricanes their first win over the Seminoles in seven meetings.
Miami has not won two games in a row against Florida State since the 2015-16 season, and while the preseason ranking might be intimidating, Loucks needs to find a way to win one or both of the games against the Hurricanes. After meeting in the Watsco Center, Miami will travel to Tallahassee on March 6 to end the regular season.
Miami presents the first challenge of many in the ACC, with No. 2 Duke (February 16), No. 11 Louisville (February 21), and No. 9 Virginia (February 27) filling the void between the Hurricanes' games. The Blue Devils look like an absolute monster this season, and while Loucks pulled the Seminoles close last season, upsetting this stacked Duke team could be extremely difficult.
The games against Louisville and Virginia are where things could get interesting for Florida State this season.
Loucks has not gotten the chance to face the Cardinals yet, but Florida State is currently on a three-game skid against them. Florida State did not lose to Louisville from 2018 to 2022, and Loucks needs to reassert dominance over the Cardinals this season. The schedule is stacked, and there is no denying that, so Florida State will need to find a way to win big games in order to stay afloat this season.
Unlike Louisville, Loucks faced Virginia last season and narrowly lost after shooting 18% from three-point range and 29% from the field. The game was absolutely winnable, and with virtually the same roster, Loucks knows what to expect out of the Cavaliers.
No matter which way you slice it, the 2026-27 season will be a difficult one for Florida State, but that is exactly what Loucks is looking to embrace.
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