MSU announces 2024-25 SEC Opponents in year one of expanded conference
Year one of the newly expanded SEC is set to be as competitive as ever for women’s basketball in the league and Mississippi State’s schedule reflects it.
The conference announced the matchups on Tuesday afternoon with the Bulldogs showcasing an exciting homestand with a few tough road matchups as well.
Highlighting the tilt at Humphrey Coliseum in 2024-25 will be the return of legendary former head coach Vic Schaefer as he brings in a potential top 5 team in Texas to his old stomping grounds. Schaefer and the Longhorns are coming off yet another trip to the Elite 8 and he will have All-American freshman and Mississippi native Madison Booker with him.
Another new member of the conference will also be coming to Starkville next year with the year’s Big 12 champions Oklahoma set to come to State. Defending National Champion South Carolina and head coach Dawn Staley are scheduled to come to State next year as well as NCAA Tournament teams Alabama, Auburn, Texas A&M and Ole Miss.
Arkansas is also playing at MSU next season.
The road games for next year will be against two-time defending Final Four team LSU and former State point guard Mjracle Sheppard. Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Georgia and Florida. State’s one home and away opponent will be former assistant coach Johnnie Harris and Auburn as the Bulldogs are scheduled to just play Ole Miss once next year.
Coach Sam Purcell enters year three having been to postseason twice with back-to-back seasons of 20 or more wins. The coach sent the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament and won two games in his first season but State missed out on the Big Dance this year before making a run to the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament Quarterfinals at Penn State.
State’s roster has turned over in the offseason with the Bulldogs bringing back just four players from last year’s team and two starters in Jerkaila Jordan and Debreasha Powe. Purcell grabbed several portal players as well as international, junior college and high school recruits that have taken the Bulldog roster to 14 players for year three.
Home:
Alabama
Arkansas
Ole Miss
South Carolina
Texas A&M
Auburn
Texas
Oklahoma
Away:
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
LSU
Vanderbilt
Tennessee
Auburn
Missouri
