AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) – The Auburn men’s basketball team has announced several high-profile non-conference matchups featuring top-ranked opponents for the upcoming season.
The non-conference slate is highlighted by a new two-year series with the Houston Cougars, a team that has held the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for two consecutive seasons. Organized by United Sports & Entertainment, the series kicks off with a game on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Toyota Center in Houston, followed by a return match next year at Legacy Arena in Birmingham. Auburn will face Houston in the second game of The Battleground 2k hoops series, which also includes a clash between Rice and Florida State.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl expressed excitement about the opportunity to compete at such a high level.
“Kelvin Sampson has returned the Houston basketball program to greatness,” Pearl said. “With our SEC/ACC Challenge game at Duke and this game versus Houston, we will have two road contests against the preseason top two teams in the country.”
In addition to the Houston series, Auburn will participate in the annual Holiday Hoopsgiving event in Atlanta, facing the Ohio State Buckeyes on Dec. 14 at State Farm Arena. This matchup marks only the second meeting between these two programs, the first being in the 1999 NCAA Sweet 16.
Auburn competed in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event in 2023, beating Indiana 104-76. Coach Pearl believes the Holiday Hoopsgiving event is important for his team.
“Playing every year in Atlanta has been an important part of our program’s development,” Pearl said. “Chris Williams, CEO of The VII Group, has brought incredible teams to this event, and facing Ohio State will be another great challenge.”
Lastly, Auburn has announced a two-year series with the Purdue Boilermakers, starting with a game on Dec. 21 in Birmingham and continuing next year in Indianapolis as part of the Indy Classic. This matchup brings together two highly regarded programs and will test Auburn as it defends its SEC Tournament championship.
Coach Pearl expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to face Purdue.
“I am grateful to Matt Painter and the Purdue Boilermakers for agreeing to this series,” Pearl said. “Purdue is one of the top programs in the Big Ten, and playing them in Birmingham will be a great experience for our players and fans.”
The Tigers will also potentially face defending national champion UConn and other top teams in the Maui Invitational, further underscoring the challenging schedule ahead.
With these high-stakes games on the schedule, Auburn’s upcoming season promises to be an exciting journey for the team and its supporters.
