Mississippi State women to play in 2025 Emerald Coast Classic

By: William Simmons, Communications Fellow

June 17, 2025 – Mississippi State women’s basketball will be among the eight-team field of the Emerald Coast Classic, the organization announced on Tuesday. The tournament will take place on the campus of Northwest Florida State, which is 30 minutes from the sandy beaches of Destin.

This year marks the second edition of the Emerald Coast Classic. The tournament format sees the eight-team field divided into two brackets, the Bay and Beach brackets. The winner of each bracket will each take home a title. Last year, Alabama and Creighton each walked away with a pair of victories to win their respective brackets.

The Bulldogs will be paired up with in-state foe Alcorn State on the opening day of the Emerald Coast Classic in the Bay bracket. That contest is set to begin at 1:30 p.m. CT on Monday, November 24. The winner of the contest will face off with the winner of Providence and Middle Tennessee State, who play at 11 a.m. on Monday. The third-place game will take place at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, while the championship game will follow at 1:30 p.m.

Mississippi State has matched up with Alcorn State on 13 different occasions in each program’s history. The Bulldogs have won 11 of those contests. The two teams will be facing off on a neutral floor for just the second time ever. Last season, the Bulldogs took down Alcorn State in Humphrey Coliseum, 73-45.

As for the rest of the field, the Bulldogs have gone up against Middle Tennessee State eight times in program history, with the Blue Raiders leading the series, 5-3. Mississippi State has never faced off against Providence. The Beach bracket features Nebraska, Virginia, Northwestern State and Purdue Fort Wayne.

MSU Sports Information release