Mississippi State opens SEC play with Tennessee

STARKVILLE It won't take long for former Southern Miss coach Donnie Tyndall to return to the Magnolia State. Mississippi State hosts the new head coach of Tennessee in its first Southeastern Conference game of the season. The two meet on Jan. 7 at Humphrey Coliseum as the conference released this season's basketball schedules Friday night.

MSU won't stay in Starkville long. After its SEC-opener the Bulldogs play three of their next four on the road.

In the 18-game format, Mississippi State will play five teams twice. The teams MSU plays home-and-home games with are Tennessee, Missouri, Vanderbilt, Arkansas and Ole Miss.

The schedule features road trips to Florida, Auburn, Texas A&M and South Carolina. MSU plays back-to-back SEC road games twice – Florida and Texas A&M and South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

Mississippi State travels to Oxford on Jan. 28. It hosts Ole Miss on Feb. 19, which will be aired on ESPN/2.

Every conference game will be televised. The Bulldogs play on the SEC Network 12 times, Fox Sports Net four times and once on ESPNU and ESPN/2.

"Our SEC schedule is challenging, but any schedule in a power conference is going to be challenging," Ray said in a statement. "We now have experienced players and depth which bodes well for us in our endeavors to climb the SEC ladder."

Mississippi State opens the regular season at home Nov. 14 against Western Carolina at 5:30 p.m.

Its non-conference schedule includes trips to Corpus Christi, Texas for the Corpus Christi Challenge. MSU will also host Florida State and travel to Oregon State.

"My hope is that by increasing our non-conference strength of schedule that it will prepare us to have more success in the SEC," Ray said.

Date Team Time Network

Nov. 6 Delta State (Exhibition) 7 p.m.

Nov. 14 Western Carolina 5:30 p.m.

Nov. 17 Mississippi Valley State 7 p.m.

Nov. 22 Utah State 2 p.m.

Nov. 24 Clayton State 7 p.m.

Nov. 28 St. Louis TBA (Corpus Christi Challenge)

Nov. 29 Bradley/TCU TBA (Corpus Christi Challenge)

Dec. 6 at Tulane TBA

Dec. 13 at Oregon State TBA

Dec. 17 Arkansas State 7 p.m.

Dec. 20 vs. USC Upstate 3 p.m. (in Jackson, Mississippi Coliseum)

Dec. 23 Jacksonville 7 p.m.

Dec. 30 McNeese State 7 p.m.

Jan. 2 Florida State 7 p.m.

Jan. 7 Tennessee 8 p.m. SEC Network

Jan. 10 at Florida TBD FSN

Jan. 13 at Texas A&M 8 p.m. SEC Network

Jan. 17 Vanderbilt TBD FSN

Jan. 21 at Auburn 8 p.m. SEC Network

Jan. 24 Georgia TBD FSN

Jan. 28 at Ole Miss 8 p.m. SEC Network

Jan. 31 LSU TBD SEC Network

Feb. 3 at Tennessee 6 p.m. SEC Network

Feb. 7 at Arkansas TBD SEC Network

Feb. 10 Alabama 8 p.m. SEC Network

Feb. 14 at Missouri 3 p.m. ESPNU

Feb. 19 Ole Miss 8 p.m. ESPN/2

Feb. 21 Arkansas TBD FSN

Feb. 25 Kentucky 6 p.m. SEC Network

Feb. 28 @South Carolina TBD SEC Network

March 4 @Vanderbilt TBD SEC Network

March 7 Missouri TBD SEC Network

March 11-15 SEC Tournament – Nashville