Full Month-By-Month Breakdown of 2026-27 Southern Miss Men's Basketball Schedule

After what has already been a successful offseason, excitement continues to build for Southern Miss men's basketball with the full 2026-27 schedule being released this week.

Nov 9, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles guard Isaac Taveras (10) shoots over South Carolina Gamecocks forward Hayden Assemian (20) in the second half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss basketball fans can officially begin circling dates on the calendar.

From early-season measuring-stick games at Iowa State, Oregon State and McNeese to a holiday showdown with Ole Miss in Biloxi, the Golden Eagles' newly released 2026-27 schedule offers several intriguing matchups. Southern Miss will also play twice in Pensacola, welcome Tulane to Reed Green Coliseum and work through a Sun Belt slate that features several challenging road swings.

Fans will be able to get a first look at this year's team on Oct. 21 in a home exhibition against LSU-New Orleans, beginning a schedule designed by the coaching staff to test the Golden Eagles in several different environments before the season reaches its most important stretch in March.

Here's a month-by-month look at every game on the Southern Miss men's basketball team's 2026-27 schedule.

Note: Throughout this offseason, Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI has written several player profiles to help the fan base get to know these new faces well before the season officially tips off. Be sure to check all of those out in addition to the full schedule listed below.

October: The Warm-Ups

Southern Miss basketball has worked hard all offseason in hopes of competing for a Sun Belt title in 2026-27. | Southern Miss Athletics

Date	Opponent
Oct. 21 (Wed.)	vs. LSU-New Orleans (exhibition)
Oct. 28 (Wed.)	at Houston Christian (exhibition)

These exhibition games won't count toward the Golden Eagles' season record, but they'll be our first real look at the new roster playing against other teams. Southern Miss will start things out at home on Oct. 21 against LSU-New Orleans.

Then, the Golden Eagles will travel to Texas to take on Houston Christian, a team that upset Southern Miss in an exhibition game at Reed Green Coliseum last season. These games might not hold a lot of weight, but you can bet head coach Jay Ladner and his mostly-new squad will look to even the score at Houston Christian's place.

November: The Real Thing

Southern Miss has a handful of talented newcomers this year, including versatile guard Camden Cerese. | Southern Miss Athletics

Date	Opponent
Nov. 2 (Mon.)	vs. Tougaloo
Nov. 6 (Fri.)	at Iowa State (buy game)
Nov. 11 (Wed.)	vs. Jackson State
Nov. 13 (Fri.)	at Texas State (buy game)
Nov. 17 (Tue.)	vs. UT-Arlington
Nov. 19 (Thu.)	at Grambling State
Nov. 21 (Sat.)	vs. Nicholls (Pensacola Invitational)
Nov. 22 (Sun.)	vs. Valpo (Pensacola Invitational)
Nov. 29 (Sun.)	vs. Grambling State

At long last, real basketball will tip off in November, with the Golden Eagles starting things off against Tougaloo, a team they beat 93-57 in the second home game of the season last year. The second game of the year will be a big road test against a very good Iowa State squad. Other notable games include a road contest at Texas State, which is no longer a part of the Sun Belt Conference, and games against Nicholls and Valpo in the Pensacola Invitational.

Last year, the Golden Eagles swept the Pensacola Invitational with wins over North Florida and UT Martin. The Iowa State and Texas State matchups will be buy games for Southern Miss.

December: The Big Tests Before Christmas

During the summer, the Golden Eagles spent some time practicing at local high school gyms while a few renovations happened at Reed Green Coliseum. | Southern Miss Athletics

Date	Opponent
Dec. 2 (Wed.)	vs. Tulane
Dec. 5 (Sat.)	at Oregon State (buy game)
Dec. 10 (Thu.)	at McNeese (buy game)
Dec. 14 (Mon.)	vs. Tuskegee
Dec. 19 (Sat.)	vs. JMU
Dec. 22 (Tue.)	vs. Ole Miss (Biloxi - buy game)
Dec. 31 (Thu.)	at Georgia State

There aren't as many games on the December slate, but there are a handful of big tests. The Golden Eagles will start off the month with a high-quality home non-conference game against Tulane, then they'll hit the road to take on tough Oregon State and McNeese squads before returning home for a three-game homestand.

At the end of the month, a pre-Christmas neutral site test against in-state rival Ole Miss will be sandwiched by the first two Sun Belt games of the year: James Madison at home on Dec. 19 and Georgia State on the road for New Year's Eve. The Oregon State, McNeese State and Ole Miss matchups will be buy games for Southern Miss.

January: All Sun Belt From Here On Out

Southern Miss big man Maximillion Blank from Germany is a name to watch this season. He has a fascinating story about how he ended up at Southern Miss that can be heard on our Nasty Bunch & Beyond podcast with Golden Eagles assistant coach Noah Croak. | Southern Miss Athletics

Date	Opponent
Jan. 2 (Sat.)	at Georgia Southern
Jan. 7 (Thu.)	vs. Coastal Carolina
Jan. 9 (Sat.)	vs. Old Dominion
Jan. 14 (Thu.)	at Troy
Jan. 16 (Sat.)	at Arkansas State
Jan. 21 (Thu.)	vs. ULM
Jan. 23 (Sat.)	at South Alabama
Jan. 28 (Thu.)	at Louisiana Tech
Jan. 30 (Sat.)	vs. Lousiana

February: Final Dress Rehearsal for March

Despite facing the roster-building difficulties presented by today's college athletics climate, Southern Miss head coach Jay Ladner and his staff have done an excellent job navigating those rough waters and putting together what appears to be a very promising 2026-27 roster. | Southern Miss Athletics

Date	Opponent
Feb. 6 (Sat.)	at Appalachian State
Feb. 11 (Thu.)	vs. Louisiana Tech
Feb 13 (Sat.)	at Louisiana
Feb. 18 (Thu.)	at ULM
Feb. 20 (Sat.)	at Troy
Feb. 24 (Wed.)	vs. Arkansas State
Feb. 26 (Fri)	vs. South Alabama (Senior Day)

By the time Southern Miss reaches the final weeks of the regular season in February, Ladner and his crew should have a pretty good idea of how they stack up in the Sun Belt. The month will get off to a tough start, as the Golden Eagles will play four of their first five games on the road, including a road test against the defending Sun Belt champion, Troy, on Feb. 20. However, they'll finish the regular season with two consecutive home games, including Senior Day against South Alabama on Feb. 26.

This year's schedule provides plenty of opportunities to build momentum, but it will not leave much room for extended slumps either. Although Southern Miss has a mostly new roster this season, it will still try to channel last year's team's grit. Despite being the eighth seed in the Sun Belt tournament last season, the Golden Eagles won three games in three nights to advance to the semifinals before falling to the eventual champion, Troy.

This is one of the most anticipated seasons in recent history for the Southern Miss men's basketball program, thanks to the talented players that have been brought in over the summer and the chemistry they have built as the offseason has progressed. Not to mention, the ongoing, long-awaited renovations to Reed Green Coliseum have fans excited about the future as well.

For a team that has openly discussed competing for a Sun Belt title, the path is now officially in place. All that remains is how far the Golden Eagles can travel down it.