Governors unveil ambitious 2026‑27 schedule
Austin Peay State University’s fourth‑year head coach Corey Gipson took the podium this week to unveil the Governors’ 2026‑27 non‑conference basketball slate, a schedule that blends home dominance with a series of ambitious road trips across the continental United States.
The plan calls for nine contests at the familiar confines of Gary Mathews Court inside F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tennessee, where the team will attempt to protect a 92.3 % home winning rate that was set last season.
The opening night will see the Governors host Lane on November 2, continuing a streak of ten straight victories in home openers that dates back to 2016, a record that underscores the program’s comfort in front of its own fans.
Beyond the familiar confines, the schedule stretches to the Pacific Northwest, with a highly anticipated trip to Seattle on December 15 that will involve a 4,000‑plus‑mile round‑trip flight, the longest distance the program has ever traveled for a regular‑season game.
The non‑conference slate also features first‑time meetings with Lane, Livingston, Seattle and West Florida, while the Governors will test themselves against traditional powers such as Kansas (via a Wichita State stop), Wyoming and a home‑and‑home series with Kennesaw State.
Coach Gipson emphasized that the mix of new opponents and returning foes is designed to sharpen the team’s depth and to keep the crowd engaged, noting that the home schedule will host 17 games, tied for the third‑most in program history.
The Governors will also travel to face Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs for the first time in school history, a matchup that follows a 74‑54 victory over the Falcons last season, and will round out the non‑conference portion with road games at Queens and West Florida before a final home showdown against UT Southern on December 28.
Overall, the schedule promises a blend of comfort on home soil and challenging excursions that could set the tone for a strong start to the new campaign.