The University of Southern Mississippi announced its men’s basketball non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season on Tuesday. The schedule includes seven home games and one on the Mississippi coast, according to the school’s athletics department.
Head coach Jay Ladner said the schedule is designed to challenge the team and prepare them for Sun Belt Conference play. “Our non-conference schedule is not designed for an easy road and isn’t littered with cupcakes,” Ladner said. “It’s full of great challenges, it’s attractive, and it’s the ‘Southern Miss Way.'”
The Golden Eagles will begin their season with two exhibition games, hosting LSU New Orleans on Oct. 21 and playing at Houston Christian on Oct. 28. The regular season opens Nov. 2 at Reed Green Coliseum against Tougaloo, a matchup that last season resulted in a 93-57 win for Southern Miss.
Southern Miss will then travel to Iowa State on Nov. 6 for a game against the Cyclones, who reached the NCAA Sweet 16 last season. The team returns home to face Jackson State on Nov. 13 before heading to Texas State on Nov. 17. A three-game road stretch begins at Grambling on Nov. 19, followed by the Pensacola Invitational on Nov. 21-22, where the Golden Eagles will compete against Nicholls and Valparaiso at the Pensacola Bay Center.
The team will host Grambling on Nov. 29 and Tulane on Dec. 2 before traveling to Oregon State on Dec. 5 and McNeese State on Dec. 10. The non-conference slate concludes with a home game against Tuskegee on Dec. 14 and a neutral-site game against Ole Miss at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum on Dec. 22. Between those, Southern Miss will face James Madison in Hattiesburg on Dec. 19.
Sun Belt Conference play begins with matchups at Georgia State on Dec. 31 and Georgia Southern on Jan. 2. The league schedule runs through Feb. 26, ending with a home game against South Alabama. The Sun Belt Tournament is scheduled for March 2-8 at the Pensacola Bay Center.
Season tickets for the 2026-27 season are available for purchase and renewal. Fans can buy tickets or renew at smttt.info/MBB26Tix. The university encourages supporters to follow @SouthernMissMBB on X, Instagram, and Facebook for updates.
