Matt McMahon is in the thick of it. If you’ve been following the Tigers lately, you know the vibe around the Pete Maravich Assembly Center is a mix of "wait and see" and "we need a win now." The lsu boys basketball schedule for the 2025-26 season has officially transitioned from the optimistic non-conference slate into the absolute meat grinder that is the SEC.
Honestly, the SEC is terrifying this year.
It isn't just the blue bloods like Kentucky. You’ve got a ranked Tennessee, a resurgent Alabama, and new faces like Oklahoma and Texas making the travel schedule look like a pro league itinerary. For LSU, the path to a postseason berth—whether it’s the Big Dance or the NIT—runs through a gauntlet of Saturday night home games and hostile road environments.
The Current State of the LSU Boys Basketball Schedule
The Tigers started the season with some serious momentum. They handled business in the Emerald Coast Classic, taking down Drake and DePaul, and even gritted out an overtime win against Boston College in the ACC/SEC Challenge. But conference play is a different animal.
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As of mid-January 2026, the Tigers are looking at a schedule that demands consistency from a roster that’s still finding its identity. If you're looking to catch a game, the upcoming dates at the PMAC are your best bet to see if this team can actually protect home court.
Upcoming Key Matchups:
- January 17: Missouri visits Baton Rouge. This is basically a "must-win" for momentum. Kickoff is at 2:30 PM.
- January 20: A tough road trip to Gainesville to face Florida.
- January 28: Mississippi State comes to town for a 6:00 PM tip-off.
- February 7: Georgia enters the PMAC.
- February 10: The first of two massive swings against Arkansas.
- February 21: Alabama brings their high-octane offense to Baton Rouge.
The SEC schedule is quirky this year. LSU plays Texas A&M and Arkansas twice—those are their permanent rivals—but they also have a home-and-home with South Carolina this season. That back-and-forth can really mess with a team's rhythm, especially with the "Rivalry Saturday" finale looming on March 7th against the Aggies.
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Why the Second Half Matters More Than Ever
Look, the 2024-25 season was rough. Everyone knows it. 14-18 isn't the standard in Baton Rouge. Matt McMahon knows his seat is getting warmer, even if the administration is preaching patience. This year's lsu boys basketball schedule was designed to build confidence early, but the lack of a "signature win" in the early SEC weeks has fans a little edgy.
The roster is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle. You've got veterans like Jordan Sears and Cam Carter trying to lead, but it’s the young guys like Trey’Dez Green and Vyctorius Miller who really get the crowd going. When Miller is hitting from deep, the PMAC feels like the loudest building in the South. When he's cold? It can get quiet fast.
Watching from Home or Heading to the PMAC?
If you can't make it to the "Deaf Dome," you're basically living on the SEC Network. Most of the mid-week games are relegated to SECN or ESPN2. The big Saturday games, like the upcoming tilt against Alabama in late February, are the ones that might flex to a bigger platform depending on how the standings look.
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Tickets are actually pretty affordable right now if you aren't looking for courtside seats. You can find upper-level spots for under $15 for some of the Tuesday night games. But for the Kentucky or Alabama games? Good luck. Those prices spike the second the student section starts camping out.
Managing Expectations for February and March
The end of the lsu boys basketball schedule is particularly brutal. Between February 14th and the end of the month, the Tigers have to play Tennessee, Texas, and Alabama. That’s a lot of NBA-level talent to deal with in a two-week span.
Success for this team isn't necessarily winning the SEC title—let's be real, that's a long shot. Success is finishing above .500 and showing that the "rebuild" is actually building toward something. If they can steal two out of three against the top-tier teams at home, the conversation around this program changes completely.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you're planning to follow the team through the finish line, here is what you should do:
- Check the Flex Times: The SEC often waits until 6-10 days before a game to finalize the exact tip-off time for TV. Don't rely on a schedule you printed in November.
- Download the Geaux Rewards App: If you're an LSU student, this is the only way you’re getting in for free.
- Watch the "Matt McMahon Show": It airs most Monday nights at 7:00 PM. It’s the best way to hear the coach's actual thoughts on why certain plays did or didn't work, which is way better than just reading a box score.
- Buy Tickets Early for March 7: The regular-season finale against Texas A&M will likely have huge implications for SEC Tournament seeding.
The road to Nashville and the SEC Tournament (March 11-15) starts now. Every single game on the lsu boys basketball schedule from here on out is a resume builder or a resume killer.