LSU men’s basketball now knows when most of its 2026-27 slate will land on TV, and the schedule starts with a busy October and stretches all the way through the SEC Tournament in Nashville.
The SEC released its updated men’s basketball schedule Wednesday, locking in dates and television assignments for conference games while also adding more detail to LSU’s non-conference lineup. The Tigers open exhibition play Thursday night at McNeese in Lake Charles, with tipoff set for 6:30 p.m.
LSU’s exhibition run continues at home against UCF on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Admission is free, and the game will air on SECN+ and the LSU Sports Radio Network. The Tigers then wrap up exhibition action Oct. 24 at Florida State, where tipoff is noon and the game will stream on ACCNX.
The regular season begins Nov. 3 with LSU hosting LSU New Orleans at 7 p.m.
Non-conference play brings a few notable dates, including a Nov. 14 trip to face Gonzaga in Spokane, two games in Palm Desert, California, against Arizona State and SMU, a Dec. 1 home matchup with Wake Forest in the SEC-ACC Challenge, and a Dec. 13 meeting with Houston at the Toyota Center.
SEC play opens Jan. 2 when South Carolina comes to Baton Rouge.
Here is LSU’s updated 2026-27 schedule:
OCTOBER
Thursday, Oct. 8 - at McNeese (Exhibition), 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 14 - UCF (Exhibition), 7 p.m. (SECN+)
Saturday, Oct. 24 - at Florida State (Exhibition), Noon (ACCNX)
NOVEMBER
Tuesday, Nov. 3 - LSU NEW ORLEANS, 7 p.m. (SECN+)
Friday, Nov. 6 - TEXAS SOUTHERN, 7 p.m. (SECN+)
Monday, Nov. 9 - LOUISIANA TECH, 7 p.m. (SECN+)
Saturday, Nov. 14 - Gonzaga (Spokane), TBA
Wednesday, Nov. 18 - ULM, 7 p.m. (SECN+)
Saturday, Nov. 21 - QUEENS, TBA (SECN+)
Wednesday, Nov. 25 - vs. Arizona State (Palm Desert, Calif.), 1 p.m. (CBSSN)
Thursday, Nov. 26 - vs. SMU (Palm Desert, Calif.), 6 p.m. (CBSSN)
DECEMBER
Tuesday, Dec. 1 - WAKE FOREST (SEC-ACC Challenge), 8 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday, Dec. 5 - HOFSTRA, 1 p.m. (SECN+)
Sunday, Dec. 13 - vs. Houston (Toyota Center), 2:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Friday, Dec. 18 - HIGH POINT, TBA (SECN+)
Tuesday, Dec. 22 - LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE, 5 p.m. (SEC Network)
Monday, Dec. 28 - WASHINGTON STATE, 7 p.m. (SECN+)
JANUARY
Saturday, Jan. 2 - SOUTH CAROLINA, 2:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
Tuesday, Jan. 5 - at Alabama, 6 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday, Jan. 9 - TENNESSEE, 7:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
Wednesday, Jan. 13 - at Kentucky, 6 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday, Jan. 16 - at Texas A&M, 5 p.m. (SEC Network)
Tuesday, Jan. 19 - TEXAS, 8 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday, Jan. 23 - AUBURN, 2:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
Tuesday, Jan. 26 - at Arkansas, 8 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday, Jan. 30 - at Georgia, 2:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
FEBRUARY
Tuesday, Feb. 2 - VANDERBILT, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
Saturday, Feb. 6 - OLE MISS, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)
Saturday, Feb. 13 - at Oklahoma, Noon (SEC Network)
Wednesday, Feb. 17 - FLORIDA, 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday, Feb. 20 - at Mississippi State, 5 p.m. (SEC Network)
Wednesday, Feb. 24 - at Auburn, 6 p.m. (SEC Network)
Saturday, Feb. 27 - TEXAS A&M, 7:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
MARCH
Tuesday, March 2 - ARKANSAS, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
Saturday, March 6 - at Missouri, 1 p.m. (SEC Network)
March 10-14 - SEC Tournament (Nashville), TBA (SEC Network/ESPN)
Home games are listed in all caps. The Nov. 14 Gonzaga game will be played at Numerica Veterans Arena in Spokane.
Season tickets, non-conference single-game tickets and SEC mini-plans are currently on sale through LSU.
In Other News...
LSU Gets A Reassuring Injury Report Before Kentucky Game
LSU heads into its SEC matchup with Kentucky carrying the same kind of availability report it was expected to have, with five Tigers ruled out and no late surprises attached to the list. For a team trying to keep its focus on the conference grind, the news matters less for who is missing than for the fact that the absences were anticipated well in advance, leaving the Tigers with a clearer read on how they will line up.
Kentuckys report is a little more layered, with five players out and a mix of questionable and probable tags that could still alter the depth chart by kickoff. The most encouraging sign for the Wildcats is that Jason Patterson and Aaron Gates are not on the injury report at all and are expected to be available, which gives Kentucky some stability as it tries to navigate a shorter margin for error in an SEC game that already carries plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]
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LSU is nearing the midpoint of its first season under Lane Kiffin, and the Tigers have already shown enough on defense to make the rest of the SEC pay attention. Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt has been among those encouraged by what LSU has done on that side of the ball, pointing to a pass rush and overall defensive profile that could keep the Tigers in the race for the SEC Championship as the schedule gets more demanding.
For a team with Kiffin now running the show, the early storyline has been a little different than the usual offensive fireworks associated with his name. LSUs defense has stood out so far, and that creates a different kind of threat for opponents, including Ole Miss, which knows the tougher stretch is still ahead for the Tigers. The real test now is whether that strong start holds up once LSU gets to the hardest part of the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
LSU Heads Into Kentucky With Major Injury Questions On Both Sides
LSUs injury picture keeps evolving as the Tigers get ready for Kentucky, and the list of unavailable players already includes several significant season-ending losses. Wide receiver Phillip Wright III, safety Dashawn Spears and linebacker Charles Ross are all done for the year, forcing LSU to keep reshuffling pieces on both sides of the ball while trying to maintain its footing in the SEC race.
Tight end Trey'Dez Green adds another layer of uncertainty, with his recovery timeline still unclear even as there is some hope he could return sooner than expected. In the meantime, LSU has been leaning on replacements like safety Tamarcus Cooley and linebacker Davhon Keys, and how well those fill-in roles hold up could shape what the Tigers look like against Kentucky and beyond. [Read more 🡒]