For the first time in 28 years, the Auburn men's basketball team will face a conference opponent in December. The Tigers will tip off conference play on Dec. 29 when the Georgia Bulldogs visit Auburn Arena, the SEC announced Tuesday.
Auburn will play a home-and-home with their three common opponents in Alabama, Georgia and Ole Miss, and will also play a home-and-home with LSU and Missouri. Bruce Pearl and the Tigers will play Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas and Mississippi State on the Plains, and will travel to Kentucky, Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Texas A&M.
A new look Auburn roster faces the possibility of playing 15 games against 12 teams that reached the postseason last year. Seven of those potential games will be against NCAA Tournament teams and eight will be against NIT Tournament opponents.
The Tigers will play in Auburn Arena 15 times this year, with two of those match ups tipping off at 8 p.m. CST. All 18 conference games will be televised.
Of the nine home SEC games, Auburn will play five during the week and four on Saturdays.
After Auburn’s SEC opener vs. Georgia, the Tigers play three consecutive games on the SEC Network at Vanderbilt on Jan. 4, Ole Miss on Jan. 7 and at Missouri on Jan. 10. Auburn will be on ESPN or ESPN2 in two of its next three games at Kentucky on Jan. 14 and Alabama on Jan. 21, with LSU on Jan. 18 on the SEC Network.
Auburn plays six of its next nine games on away from home at South Carolina on Jan. 24 on the SEC Network, at TCU on Jan. 28 in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on ESPNU followed by a pair of SEC Network games vs. Tennessee on Jan. 31 and at Alabama on Feb. 4.
The Tigers play Mississippi State on Feb. 7 on ESPNU, at Ole Miss on Feb. 11 on the SEC Network, Florida on Feb. 14 on the SEC Network and back-to-back road games at Texas A&M on Feb. 18 on ESPNU and at LSU on Feb. 21 on SEC Network to close out the tough stretch.
Auburn's final home game will be on March 4 as the Tigers take on Missouri. Seniors T.J. Dunans, Ronnie Johnson, Laron Smith and Devin Wadell will be recognized in a senior day ceremony before tip off. The SEC Tournament is March 8-12 in Nashville, Tennessee, at Bridgestone Arena.
Auburn Basketball’s 2016-17 schedule (all times CT)
Fri. Nov. 4 Montevallo (exh.), tba
Fri. Nov. 11 North Florida, tba
Mon. Nov. 14 (1) Georgia State, tba
Thur. Nov. 17 (1) Eastern Kentucky, tba
Tue. Nov. 22 (2) Texas Tech (CBS Sports Network), tba
Wed. Nov. 23 (2) Purdue/Utah State (CBS Sports Network), tba
Tue. Nov. 29 USC-Upstate, tba
Sat. Dec. 3 at UAB, tba
Mon. Dec. 12 (3) Boston College, tba
Thur. Dec. 15 Coastal Carolina, tba
Sun. Dec. 18 Mercer, tba
Wed. Dec. 21 (4) Oklahoma (ESPNU), 8 pm
Fri. Dec. 23 (5) at UConn, 1:30 pm
Thur. Dec. 29 Georgia (ESPNU), 6 pm
Wed. Jan. 4 at Vanderbilt (SECN), 6 pm
Sat. Jan. 7 Ole Miss (SECN), 5 pm
Tue. Jan. 10 at Missouri (SECN), 6 pm
Sat. Jan. 14 at Kentucky (ESPN/ESPN2), 3 pm
Wed. Jan. 18 LSU (SECN), 7:30 pm
Sat. Jan. 21 Alabama (ESPN/ESPN2), 3 pm
Tue. Jan. 24 at South Carolina (SECN), 5:30 pm
Sat. Jan. 28 (6) at TCU (ESPNU), 5 pm
Tue. Jan. 31 Tennessee (SECN), 8 pm
Sat. Feb. 4 at Alabama (SECN), 7:30 pm
Tue. Feb. 7 Mississippi State (ESPNU), 8 pm
Sat. Feb. 11 at Ole Miss (SECN), 5 pm
Tue. Feb. 14 Florida (SECN), 6 pm
Sat. Feb. 18 at Texas A&M (ESPNU), 3 pm
Tue. Feb. 21 at LSU (SECN), 6 pm
Sat. Feb. 25 Arkansas (SECN), 7:30 pm
Wed. Mar. 1 at Georgia (SECN), 5:30 pm
Sat. Mar. 4 Missouri (SECN), 2:30 pm
Wed. Mar. 8- (7) SEC Tournament (SECN/ESPN), tba
Sun. Mar. 12
(1) Cancun Challenge (Auburn, Ala.)
(2) Cancun Challenge (Cancun, Mexico)
(3) Under Armour Reunion (New York, N.Y. – Madison Square Garden)
(4) Basketball Hall of Fame’s Birthday of Basketball (Uncasville, Conn. – Mohegan Sun Arena)
(5) Hartford, Conn. (XL Center)
(6) SEC/Big 12 Challenge (Fort Worth, Texas)
(7) SEC Tournament (Nashville, Tenn. – Bridgestone Arena)
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