Hardaway Brings Tough Slate Back to Memphis with 2025-26 Nonconference Schedule
Aug 21, 2025 | Men's Basketball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Memphis fans can start marking their calendars — the Tigers and head coach Penny Hardaway have officially released the 2025-26 men's basketball nonconference schedule, which includes marquee matchups, a high-profile tournament and home-court showdowns that should excite Tiger fans.
The 13-game regular-season slate includes seven contests at FedExForum and seven matchups against power-conference opponents. After owning one of the nation's toughest nonconference schedules last season, Hardaway — never one to shy away from a challenge — is back at it, scheduling eight teams that finished in the NET's top 50 last year and 10 games against KenPom top-100 programs.
The Tigers will host top teams from the Big 12 and SEC at FedExForum, offering fans some high-powered matchups. Before Christmas, Memphis takes on a challenging three-game stretch in eight days that features two contests against SEC opponents and one against an ACC team. The season also showcases tournament action, as the Tigers travel to the 2025 Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, facing a loaded field that includes two programs ranked in the top 10 of ESPN's "Way Too Early" rankings.
FedExForum has been one of the most electric arenas in college basketball under Hardaway, with the Tigers posting a 95-15 overall home record (86.3%) over the last seven seasons.
Season tickets and Dynamic Passes for the 2025-26 season are available at THIS LINK.
Memphis will kick things off with an exhibition against Final Four participant Auburn at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. CT. This is a rematch of last season's Maui Invitational championship game where Auburn defeated Memphis 90-76.
The Tigers officially tip off the regular season on Nov. 8 at home against San Francisco, followed by a road trip down to Oxford to face Ole Miss on Nov. 11, continuing a four-year regional rivalry that saw Memphis defeat the Rebels 87-70 in the Bluff City last season to improve to 22-3 all-time in the series.
Memphis hosts UNLV on Nov. 16, a return game that marks the first visit by former Tiger coach Josh Pastner's squad since 1986. The week before Thanksgiving, the Tigers head to the Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, Bahamas (Nov. 20-21), opening against Purdue at 5 p.m. CT on Nov. 20, then taking on either Texas Tech or Wake Forest the following day.
Returning stateside, the Tigers will host Southern Illinois (Nov. 26) and New Orleans (Dec. 3) before welcoming Baylor to town on Dec. 6 for a 3:30 p.m. showdown on CBS. It marks the first Memphis-Baylor meeting since 2014 and the Bears' first trip to Memphis since 1976.
The Tigers' schedule is loaded in the month of December with four-consecutive power conference matchups. After the showdown with Baylor, Memphis will face stiff road tests at Louisville (Dec. 13) and Mississippi State (Dec. 20), while sandwiching a home date in-between with Vanderbilt on Dec. 17.
Memphis and Louisville announced in May a six-year agreement beginning this season. It marks the first time the two teams will square off since December 16, 2017.
The Tigers' visit to Starkville, Mississippi will be only the fifth in program history and the first since Dec. 15, 1984.
Memphis has won four-straight over Vanderbilt and the programs are meeting for the third time in four years. The Tigers won 77-75 on Dec. 23, 2023 in FedExForum, helping Coach Hardaway to a 9-3 record at home against power conference opponents the last seven seasons.
The Tigers will wrap up their nonconference slate with a Dec. 22 home date against Alabama State, before a road matchup in the middle of conference season at Utah State (Feb. 14) on Valentines Day.
Game times will be announced at a later date for all games.
2025-26 Memphis Tiger Men's Basketball Nonconference Schedule ('24-25 NCAA NET Ranking)
*Oct. 30 – vs. Auburn (2) - (Atlanta, Ga.)
Nov. 8 – San Francisco (64)
Nov. 11 – at Ole Miss (28)
Nov. 16 – UNLV (98)
Nov. 20 – vs. Purdue (19) (Baha Mar Championship; Nassau, Bahamas)
Nov. 21 – vs. Texas Tech (7) or Wake Forest (69) (Baha Mar Championship; Nassau, Bahamas)
Nov. 26 – SIU (216)
Dec. 3 – New Orleans (346)
Dec. 6 – Baylor (30)
Dec. 13 – at Louisville (24)
Dec. 17 – Vanderbilt (48)
Dec. 20 – at Mississippi State (34)
Dec. 22 – Alabama State (274)
Feb. 14 – at Utah State (37)
BOLD = Home
* = Exhibition
HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: For complete information on Memphis Tiger Men's Basketball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The 13-game regular-season slate includes seven contests at FedExForum and seven matchups against power-conference opponents. After owning one of the nation's toughest nonconference schedules last season, Hardaway — never one to shy away from a challenge — is back at it, scheduling eight teams that finished in the NET's top 50 last year and 10 games against KenPom top-100 programs.
The Tigers will host top teams from the Big 12 and SEC at FedExForum, offering fans some high-powered matchups. Before Christmas, Memphis takes on a challenging three-game stretch in eight days that features two contests against SEC opponents and one against an ACC team. The season also showcases tournament action, as the Tigers travel to the 2025 Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, facing a loaded field that includes two programs ranked in the top 10 of ESPN's "Way Too Early" rankings.
FedExForum has been one of the most electric arenas in college basketball under Hardaway, with the Tigers posting a 95-15 overall home record (86.3%) over the last seven seasons.
Season tickets and Dynamic Passes for the 2025-26 season are available at THIS LINK.
Memphis will kick things off with an exhibition against Final Four participant Auburn at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. CT. This is a rematch of last season's Maui Invitational championship game where Auburn defeated Memphis 90-76.
The Tigers officially tip off the regular season on Nov. 8 at home against San Francisco, followed by a road trip down to Oxford to face Ole Miss on Nov. 11, continuing a four-year regional rivalry that saw Memphis defeat the Rebels 87-70 in the Bluff City last season to improve to 22-3 all-time in the series.
Memphis hosts UNLV on Nov. 16, a return game that marks the first visit by former Tiger coach Josh Pastner's squad since 1986. The week before Thanksgiving, the Tigers head to the Baha Mar Championship in Nassau, Bahamas (Nov. 20-21), opening against Purdue at 5 p.m. CT on Nov. 20, then taking on either Texas Tech or Wake Forest the following day.
Returning stateside, the Tigers will host Southern Illinois (Nov. 26) and New Orleans (Dec. 3) before welcoming Baylor to town on Dec. 6 for a 3:30 p.m. showdown on CBS. It marks the first Memphis-Baylor meeting since 2014 and the Bears' first trip to Memphis since 1976.
The Tigers' schedule is loaded in the month of December with four-consecutive power conference matchups. After the showdown with Baylor, Memphis will face stiff road tests at Louisville (Dec. 13) and Mississippi State (Dec. 20), while sandwiching a home date in-between with Vanderbilt on Dec. 17.
Memphis and Louisville announced in May a six-year agreement beginning this season. It marks the first time the two teams will square off since December 16, 2017.
The Tigers' visit to Starkville, Mississippi will be only the fifth in program history and the first since Dec. 15, 1984.
Memphis has won four-straight over Vanderbilt and the programs are meeting for the third time in four years. The Tigers won 77-75 on Dec. 23, 2023 in FedExForum, helping Coach Hardaway to a 9-3 record at home against power conference opponents the last seven seasons.
The Tigers will wrap up their nonconference slate with a Dec. 22 home date against Alabama State, before a road matchup in the middle of conference season at Utah State (Feb. 14) on Valentines Day.
Game times will be announced at a later date for all games.
2025-26 Memphis Tiger Men's Basketball Nonconference Schedule ('24-25 NCAA NET Ranking)
*Oct. 30 – vs. Auburn (2) - (Atlanta, Ga.)
Nov. 8 – San Francisco (64)
Nov. 11 – at Ole Miss (28)
Nov. 16 – UNLV (98)
Nov. 20 – vs. Purdue (19) (Baha Mar Championship; Nassau, Bahamas)
Nov. 21 – vs. Texas Tech (7) or Wake Forest (69) (Baha Mar Championship; Nassau, Bahamas)
Nov. 26 – SIU (216)
Dec. 3 – New Orleans (346)
Dec. 6 – Baylor (30)
Dec. 13 – at Louisville (24)
Dec. 17 – Vanderbilt (48)
Dec. 20 – at Mississippi State (34)
Dec. 22 – Alabama State (274)
Feb. 14 – at Utah State (37)
BOLD = Home
* = Exhibition
HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: For complete information on Memphis Tiger Men's Basketball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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