Wichita State and VCU are finalizing a home-and-home basketball series beginning in the 2027-28 season.

CBS Sports reporter Jon Rothstein reported on X on Wednesday, Sept. 16, that the Shockers will travel to Richmond, Va., for the first game. The Rams will make the return trip to Wichita in 2028-29.

Game dates for both matchups have not been announced.

VCU won back-to-back Atlantic 10 Conference tournament titles, the former under Ryan Odom. Last season they finished 28-8 under head coach Phil Martelli Jr., according to Atlantic 10 tournament records.

Wichita State and VCU have met six times, KWCH reported. Their most notable meeting came in the 2012 NCAA Tournament, when No. 12 seed VCU upset No. 5 seed Wichita State 62-59 in the first round, according to NCAA records.

Non-conference slate takes shape

The VCU agreement extends a scheduling push under fourth-year head coach Paul Mills. The Shockers already have three power-conference opponents on their 2026-27 non-conference schedule, KSN reported. The lineup includes USC on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Lake Tahoe, Nev.; Kentucky on Friday, Nov. 27, at Rupp Arena in Lexington; and Kansas State on Friday, Dec. 11, in Kansas City, Mo.

Kentucky will pay WSU a $110,000 guarantee for the Nov. 27 game, The Wichita Eagle reported through an open records request.

WSU athletic director Kevin Saal laid out the program's scheduling philosophy in an August interview with The Wichita Eagle when the Kentucky game was announced.

"You've got to sprinkle in some Quad 1s to show that strength, to show that intent to schedule and play the best," Saal said.

Bracketologist Rocco Miller, who tracks Division I scheduling for Bracketeer, told The Wichita Eagle in early September that WSU's current non-conference slate stands out among mid-major programs. Most teams at that level land one power-conference opponent, Miller said. Some get zero. The Shockers have three.

The Shockers finished 24-12 last season and are chasing their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021, according to GoShockers.com.

Shocker Madness tips off Saturday, Oct. 3. The 2026-27 season opens at home against Cal State Northridge on Wednesday, Nov. 4.