AUBURN, Ala. – The defending Southeastern Conference Tournament champion Auburn men’s basketball team is looking to put together another banner year by playing one of the nation’s toughest schedules in 2024-25.
“This is by far the toughest schedule in Auburn Basketball history and probably in my 29 years of being a head coach,” Bruce Pearl said. “Part of scheduling is who wants or is willing to play you. Our success over the last eight seasons has really enabled us to be an attractive opponent to some of the best teams in the country. We are liable to see six or seven teams in the non-conference that could play in this year’s NCAA Final Four.
“It sends a statement to our players that I believe in them, and in the world of college basketball, we want to be a perennial Top 25 program. More than anybody, I am happy for our student-athletes that they get to play the very best in college basketball.”
Neville Arena home games include non-conference meetings with defending America East Conference champion and NCAA Tournament participant Vermont (Nov. 6) in the season opener followed by Kent State (Nov. 13), North Alabama (Nov. 18), Richmond (Dec. 8), Georgia State (Dec. 17) and Monmouth (Dec. 30).
Kent State reached the Mid-American Conference Championship Game (lost to Akron), while Richmond was the Atlantic 10 Conference regular-season co-champions and earned an at-large bid to the NIT.
Other neutral-site contests include previously announced marquee matchups with defending Big 12 Conference regular-season champion and NCAA Sweet 16 participant Houston as part of The Battleground 2k tournament on Nov. 9 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, NIT participant Ohio State as part of Holiday Hoopsgiving on Dec. 14 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, and national runner-up Purdue on Dec. 21 at Legacy Arena in Birmingham.
The lone true road game on the Tigers’ non-conference schedule is a trip to Duke and historic Cameron Indoor Stadium for an SEC/ACC Challenge tilt on Dec. 6 in Durham, N.C. The Blue Devils reached the NCAA Elite Eight a year ago.
Eleven of the Tigers’ opponents, including potential opponents in the Maui Invitational, were ranked in the final Associated Press Poll at the end of last season: No. 1 UConn, No. 2 Purdue, No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Tennessee, No. 7 North Carolina, No. 8 Iowa State, No. 9 Duke, No. 20 Kentucky, No. 24 Dayton and No. 25 South Carolina.
SEC midweek games, game times and televised games will be released at a later date.
TICKET INFORMATION
For the 11th-straight year under head coach Bruce Pearl, season tickets are sold out. Single-game tickets for the 2024-25 season will go on sale in October.
| November 6 | Vermont |
| November 9 | vs. Houston (Toyota Center) |
| November 13 | Kent State |
| November 18 | North Alabama |
| November 25 | vs. Iowa State (Maui Invitational) |
| November 26 | vs. Dayton/ North Carolina (Maui Invitational) |
| November 27 | TBA (Maui Invitational) |
| December 4 | at Duke (SEC/ACC Challenge) |
| December 8 | Richmond |
| December 14 | vs. Ohio State (State Farm Arena) |
| December 17 | Georgia State |
| December 21 | vs. Purdue (Legacy Arena) |
| December 30 | Monmouth |