Ole Miss and NC State have agreed to play a pair of neutral-site games in the two upcoming basketball seasons.
First reported by Jon Rothstein with CBS Sports, the Rebels and Wolfpack will face off this year on Dec. 21 in Greensboro, N.C. In the 2026-27 campaign, the two programs will battle it out in a venue closer to Oxford, though a location has not yet been confirmed. The games will serve to be a potential RPI boost for both squads.
Chris Beard, the Ole Miss head coach, recently acknowledged that there have been challenges in scheduling quality non-conference opponents after his team reached the Sweet 16 just a few months ago. However, first-year NC State frontman Will Wade, no stranger to toughening his schedule, has elected to welcome the challenge.
“It’s not arrogance or self-promotion, but we’ll play anyone, anytime, anywhere,” Beard said during a June 10 press conference. “That’s the way we’ve always been. We want to play that schedule, but it’s a process to get there.”
Ole Miss last played NC State in the SEC/ACC Challenge back in 2023, which was also Beard’s first campaign with the red and blue. The Rebels defeated the Wolfpack 72-52. NC State went on to reach the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament that season. This year, both teams will feature transfer-heavy rosters featuring highly coveted prospects from the portal.
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Beard has recently committed to having his team play neutral-site games within the state of Mississippi, specifically citing Jackson and Tupelo as possible sites, along with Biloxi and Southaven — which have hosted Rebel games in the past two seasons.
Sources tell SuperTalk Mississippi News that Ole Miss and Southern Miss are eyeing a third consecutive contest in Biloxi this coming season, one that would be played in the Mississippi Coast Coliseum on Dec. 13. The Ole Miss Athletics Department has not yet confirmed if that game will take place at this time.
The Rebels will return to the hardwood to tip off the 2025-26 season in November.