The Memphis Tigers are preparing for a demanding preseason that will feature a string of high‑profile exhibition games before they step onto the court for SEC competition. The schedule is designed to sharpen the team’s depth, test new rotations and build momentum heading into a grueling conference slate.
A Grueling Non‑Conference Road
Their first test arrives on October 23, when the Tigers travel to Starkville to meet the Mississippi State Bulldogs. It will be the second consecutive year the two schools have met in preseason, and it comes after Memphis fell to the Bulldogs in the regular season last year.
Mississippi State’s Recent Form
Mississippi State finished the previous season with a 13‑19 record and placed 13th in the SEC under head coach Chris Jans. The Bulldogs’ modest record adds context to the upcoming matchup, but the Tigers know they will face a disciplined opponent that finished the year with a 13‑19 overall slate.
Just a week later, Memphis will host Arkansas in a repeat of last year’s exhibition. John Calipari, who previously coached both programs and now leads the Razorbacks, hinted at potential dates in Fayetteville, underscoring the growing familiarity between the two teams.
Both squads are also slated to meet again in the Bahamas as part of the Battle 4 Atlantis event during Thanksgiving week. The neutral‑site tournament will give Memphis a chance to gauge its progress against a different style of play and a competitive field that includes other Power Five programs.
Beyond those marquee matchups, the Tigers’ non‑conference slate includes road trips to Texas, Vanderbilt and Baylor, as well as home games against Louisville, Utah State and several other opponents at the FedExForum. The varied geography will test the team’s adaptability and depth.
Penny Hardaway, Memphis’ head coach, has repeatedly emphasized that the tough schedule is intentional. He believes that confronting elite competition early will translate into greater readiness when conference play begins, and that the experience gained will be crucial for a deep SEC run.
Historical notes add another layer of intrigue: Memphis has previously hosted Arkansas, and the program has also faced Auburn and North Carolina in recent seasons. Those past encounters illustrate a tradition of challenging themselves early in the calendar, a strategy that Hardaway says will pay dividends when the SEC schedule intensifies.