How to Watch Ole Miss Basketball vs. Cal State Bakersfield in Friday Night Showdown

OXFORD, Miss. – Since 1966 the Ole Miss men's basketball team has played in just over 700 games in the C.M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum.

On Friday, November 14, the program will say goodbye to their longtime home as they host Cal State Bakersfield in a "Throwback Game in the Tad Pad" for the final time. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network+.

TEAM FACTS
Ole Miss Rebels (Record: 3-0, 0-0 SEC)
Head Coach: Chris Beard • 3rd Season at Ole Miss (47-24) • 284-122 career record (14th Season)

Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners (Record: 2-1, 0-0 BWC)
Head Coach: Mike Scott • 1st Season at CSU Bakersfield (2-1) • 2-1 career record (1st Season)

ON THE AIR
Television/Online: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Jake Hromada
Analyst: Kermit Davis

OLE MISS RADIO
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: Gary Darby
Analyst: Murphy Holloway

SERIES HISTORY VS. CAL STATE BAKERSFIELD
Just the second matchup all-time between these two schools, Ole Miss came out on top back in meeting number one back in 2019, 83-67.

LAST MEETING: December 7, 2019 (W, 83-67, Oxford, Miss.)
• A close game at the half, Ole Miss took their three-point lead and ran with it in the second period, eventually winning by 16.
• Blake Hinson (Ole Miss): 23 points, two rebounds, one assist, one block.
• Taze Moore (CSUB): 17 points, five rebounds, one assist, two steals.

SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS
A season ago, CSU Bakersfield finished their campaign with a record of 14-19, picking up eight of those wins in conference action. Losing their top three scorers and four starters, they are paced this season by returning senior guard CJ Hardy, who averaged 9.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, with a team-best 42 steals.

So far this season, the Roadrunners have gone 2-1 ot begin the 2025-26 schedule, picking up wins over Whittier and Western Illinois after falling to California in their opener.

Hardy has been their leading scorer at 14.3 points per game, including 17 and 18-point performances in their two victories. They have been difficult to score against in the paint, ranking second in their conference and No. 40 in the nation with an average of 5.7 blocks per game.

Acting head coach Mike Scott was given his position in September after spending the previous eight seasons on staff as an assistant.

ONE LAST GOODBYE TO THE TAD PAD
Nearly 60 years ago, the C.M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum opened its doors for the first Ole Miss basketball game, when they hosted Kentucky on February 21, 1966. Decades of memories and historic moments later, what was thought to be the final game in the arena was played on December 22, 2015 as the Rebels defeated Troy in a thrilling overtime victory.

With the hiring of current head coach Chris Beard came the throwback games, as Ole Miss has since played a pair of games in the former arena still standing on campus.

However, the University announced in the fall of 2025 that the coliseum would be demolished in 2026, opening the door for one final game in the Tad Pad early in the 2025-26 season.

The building has been filled with memorable games. From the wild four-overtime win over Vanderbilt in February of 1982, to the Chris Jackson and Gerald Glass duel in an overtime 113-112 win over LSU in 1989, the Tad Pad has seen its fair share of legendary games, players, and moments during its long history.

Home names like Johnny Neumann, Gerald Glass, Ansu Sesay, and Marshall Henderson had the Ole Miss crowd on his feet. While visiting legends such as Pete Maravich, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, and Joakim Noah had Rebel fans in awe of the talent that came through the Tad Pad.

Ole Miss has played a total of 702 games in the C.M. "Tad" Smith Coliseum across 51 seasons and a pair of throwback games. Game number 703 will be the last and final time the walls will hear the cheers of the Ole Miss faithful cheering on their basketball team.

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