The nonconference schedules for Ole Miss Men’s and Women’s Basketball were released last  week. The schedules include a few tough matchups, which should prepare both teams for conference play. 

Men’s basketball

In his second year in Oxford, head coach Chris Beard led the Rebels to a Sweet 16 berth in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship for the first time since 2001. This season’s team will look quite a bit different, though, since forward Malik Dia is the only returning starter. Guards Sean Pedulla, Matthew Murrell and Jaylen “Juju” Murray all graduated, as did forwards Dre Davis, Jaemyn Brakefield and Davon Barnes.

The Rebels will begin play on Nov. 3 against Southeastern Louisiana, then play Louisiana Monroe on Nov. 7. Both games may offer early wins for Ole Miss.

The first true test for Beard’s team will come against Memphis on Nov. 11. Penny Hardaway’s team was a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season. The Tiger roster took a major hit in the offseason when American Athletic Conference Player of the Year PJ Haggerty transferred to Kansas State. Incoming Ohio State transfer forward Aaron Bradshaw, a former five-star, will hope to capitalize on a fresh start this year.

The Rebels will play CSU Bakersfield in the “Throwback to the Tad Pad” game at the Tad Smith Coliseum on Nov. 14. They will host Austin Peay for another home game on Nov. 18. 

The Rebels’ first away game of the season will come in the Acrisure Series holiday tournament in Palm Springs, Calif. The Rebels will play Iowa on Nov. 25, then will face either Utah or Grand Canyon University the following day.

Iowa finished No. 15 in the Big Ten Conference last season. Following the Hawkeyes’ 7-13 finish in conference play, the program fired head coach Fran McCaffrey. Utah finished No. 11 in its first season in the Big 12 Conference.

Grand Canyon University knows how to win. The Lopes made the NCAA Tournament in 2024-25 for the third straight season. Leading scorer Tyon Grant-Foster’s departure to Gonzaga in the transfer portal hurts their roster, but the addition of graduate guard Brian Moore Jr. — who won the Lou Henson Award for the top mid-major player in the nation at Norfolk State last season — should help.

From there, the Rebels will return to Oxford for the ACC-Challenge against Miami on Dec. 2. The Hurricanes finished 15-17 last season, due in part to head coach Jim Larrañaga announcing his retirement after their 4-8 start.

The Rebels will travel to New York City on Dec. 6 to play against legendary head coach Rick Pitino and St. John’s in Madison Square Garden. The Red Storm was a No. 2 seed in the 2024-25 NCAA Tournament. According to ESPN, St. John’s 2025-26 transfer portal class, featuring guard Ian Jackson and forward Bryce Hopkins, is the best in the country. 

The Rebels will play its annual matchup against Southern Mississippi on Dec. 13, in Biloxi. They will then face Alabama A&M on Dec. 17, NC State on Dec. 21 and Alcorn State on Dec. 29. Conference play will begin on Jan. 3 against Oklahoma. 

Women’s basketball

Coach “Yo” points during an exhibition game against Christian Brothers University at SJB Pavilion on Oct. 25, 2024. photo by Antonella Rescigno

Like the men’s team, Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin’s team is coming off a Sweet 16 appearance last season in the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship and will hope to make new strides this year. The 2025-26 team is set to shine in the SEC this year, but will face a competitive non-conference schedule. 

“I’m excited about it,” head coach Yolett McPhee-McQuin said. “We’re going to have some really good tests before SEC play, which we need.”

The Lady Rebels will kick off their season on Nov. 3, against Norfolk State, then continue against Alabama A&M (Nov. 7) and Southern University (Nov. 12). All three opponents had strong finishes last season. Norfolk State and Southern University won their conference tournaments, and Alabama A&M lost in its conference championship.

Ole Miss will travel to Memphis on Nov. 18 to take on a Tiger team with a solid mixture of veterans and transfers. The Lady Rebels will then welcome Longwood University to Oxford on Nov. 24. The Lancers will bring several of their key players from last season and are a strong defensive team, so this game should prove to be a good test for the Lady Rebels’ offense.

Power 4 competition in the nonconference schedule will begin with Wisconsin on Nov. 28 in the Coast 2 Coast Classic holiday tournament in Daytona Beach, Fla. Wisconsin struggled in recent years, so the Lady Rebels should be favored in this matchup. 

After the Badgers, the Lady Rebels will continue the holiday tournament against George Mason University. The Patriots, who clinched their first NCAA Tournament berth in history last season after winning the Atlantic 10 Conference Championship, will be sneaky good.

The Lady Rebels will also face Notre Dame on Dec. 4 as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, then travel to St. Joseph, Mo., to play Kansas State in the Bill Snyder Classic on Dec. 7. Both teams were Top 5 seeds in the NCAA Tournament last season and reached the Sweet 16. 

Kansas State led the Big 12 in offense last year, and Notre Dame was a co-champion of the ACC.  Both programs lost their best players in the offseason but should still prove to be tough opponents. 

The Lady Rebels will face Wofford College in Oxford on Dec. 13. Last year was a record year for Wofford. The Terriers went undefeated in conference play and secured their longest winning streak since they joined Division I. Ole Miss will then play South Carolina State, who has struggled the past few seasons, on Dec. 14.

The Lady Rebels will face in-state competition against Mississippi Valley on Dec. 17. They will then travel to Cherokee, N.C., for the Cherokee Invitation. Their first game is against Old Dominion, and if they win, they will face the victor of Indiana State and Michigan State a day later. 

Old Dominion led the Sun Belt Conference in forced turnovers last year and is expected to have a talented roster this upcoming season. Indiana State finished No. 11 in the Missouri Valley Conference last season, while Michigan State was a No. 7 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Lady Rebels will wrap up non-conference play against Alcorn State in Oxford on Dec. 28. They will begin SEC play on Jan. 1 against Georgia.

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