Butler opens both the 2026-27 season and the Ronald Nored Era Sunday night, welcoming Indiana to Hinkle Fieldhouse for an exhibition tip.
 
The two teams last played at Hinkle Fieldhouse Nov. 27, 1993, a 75-71 Bulldog victory. The teams have played 12 times since that 1993 contest, eight at (now) Gainbridge Fieldhouse and four in Bloomington, Ind.
 
A limited number of tickets remain available for the contest and are available at ButlerSports.com/BuyTickets.
 
This is the first of three exhibitions for the Bulldogs, who will host Indiana State at Hinkle Sunday, Oct. 18 and travel to Ohio State for a Sunday, Oct. 25 tip.
 
Butler Bulldogs (0-0, 0-0 BIG EAST) vs. Indiana Hoosiers (0-0, 0-0 B1G)
Sunday, October 11 | 6:30PM | Exhibition
Hinkle Fieldhouse // Indianapolis, Ind.
TV/Stream: WISH-TV and WISHTV.com • Will Haskett & Joey Brunk
Radio/Audio: Fuego 92.7FM, Butler Sports App & ButlerSports.com • @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
 
The Series: Indiana leads, 40-15
Streak: Indiana, W2
At Hinkle: Indiana leads, 19-9
First Meeting: Feb. 8, 1901; BU, 22-17
Last Meeting: Dec. 19, 2020; IU, 68-60 (Crossroads Classic)
 
NOT TO BE 'IG-NORED'
• Butler alum Ronald Nored was hired in March at his alma mater after spending the last decade on coaching staffs in the NBA.
• The Bulldogs return five players from last season's roster, headlined by Drayton Jones and Jalen Jackson.
• Jones was one of two Bulldogs to start all 32 games during the 2025-26 season. He led the team by shooting 59 percent from the field last season.
• Jackson led the Bulldogs to a 5-1 start in 2025-26 before his season was ended due to surgery on his left ankle.
• Butler's 10 newcomers include five NCAA transfers, three international players who have yet to play NCAA basketball, and two domestic freshmen.
• Butler's roster has four players from Indiana, five players from five other states, and a total of six international players from five different countries.
• Asim Djulovic starred for Mega Superbet in the AdmiralBet ABA and KLS leagues in his native Serbia. He averaged 12.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
• Samu Adler led his Salon Vilpas team to the Korisliiga league title in his native Finland, earning Player of the Year honors while also being named Finals MVP. He averaged 16.3 points per game during the season.
• Adler played on the Finland National Team in both Feb./March and July, 2026 in qualifying rounds for the 2027 FIBA World Cup.
• Adler has a broken finger on his left hand and will miss Sunday's exhibition against Indiana.
• Three of the team's incoming transfers averaged double figures last season: Treyson Anderson at North Dakota State, Jordan Ellerbee at Florida Gulf Coast, and Christian Moore at The Citadel; the other two transfers arrive from power conference programs: Eduardo Klafke (Ole Miss) and Samis Calderon (Kansas).
• Anderson shot 36 percent from three-point range and was third in the Summit League in blocked shots during the 2025-26 campaign at NDSU.
• Ellerbee set the freshman season scoring record at FGCU (446 points), which included a 42-point game against Kennesaw State Nov. 26, 2025.
• Nored retained general manager Tony Bollier and assistant coach Jon Diebler as members of his 2026-27 coaching staff. The three assistants that he added to his staff for the upcoming season have each coached on teams that advanced to at least the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament: Kotie Kimble (Final Four at Miami), Jalen Courtney-Williams (Elite Eight at Creighton), and Emerson Kampen (Sweet 16 at Butler).
• Butler will play 20 BIG EAST games, facing all 10 conference opponents both at Hinkle Fieldhouse and on the road.
• Butler's non-conference regular season schedule includes five power conference opponents: on the road at North Carolina and Boise State, on a neutral court against Nebraska and Georgia Tech, and at home against Pittsburgh.
• Butler is 88-6 in their last 94 home games against non-conference teams.
• Butler's 93-89 win at Georgetown Feb. 18, 2026 was Thad Matta's 500th win as a head coach; he retired following the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.
• The Bulldogs picked up wins over South Carolina and Virginia to win the 2025 Greenbrier Tip-Off.
• Butler attempted more free throws than their opponents in 27 of the 32 games during the 2025-26 campaign.
• The Bulldogs made 582 free throws on the season while their opponents attempted only 507. Butler averaged 25.3 free throw attempts per game, which ranked 16th nationally.
• Butler out-rebounded its opponent in 21 of the team's 32 games in 2025-26.
• Butler had 17 games scoring 80 or more points during the 2025-26 season, going 13-4 in those contests.