Last Updated on August 7, 2026 7:51 am
NEW ORLEANS — The Sun Belt Conference and App State Men's Basketball announced the 2026-27 conference schedule Thursday. The 18-game league slate features nine games at the Holmes Convocation Center.
The Mountaineers own a league-best 76-49 record (.608 winning percentage) in Sun Belt play over Dustin Kerns' seven seasons. App State has finished among the top two teams in the conference three times while winning a Sun Belt regular season title in 2023-24 and a Sun Belt tournament championship in 2020-21.
App State will open league play on the road against Louisiana Tech on Dec. 19. This matchup will mark the first league game for the Bulldogs as a Sun Belt member and serve as the first meeting between the two programs.
The Mountaineers' home opener in league play will be a New Year's Eve contest against Troy. App State posted a dominant 66-44 win at Trojan Arena last season, holding the eventual Sun Belt Champions to their lowest scoring output at home since 2019. The Mountaineers will cap the homestand by facing South Alabama on Jan. 2.
App State's lone multi-stop road trip of Sun Belt play takes place the following week when the Mountaineers visit Arkansas State (Jan. 7) and ULM (Jan. 9).
App State's first divisional matchup takes place in Norfolk, Va., where the Mountaineers will visit Old Dominion on Jan. 13. App State will then return home for a matchup against Georgia State on Jan. 16.
The team will remain home for a midweek clash with Coastal Carolina on Jan. 20 before hitting the road to face Georgia Southern in Statesboro on Jan. 23.
The Black and Gold will cap their home-and-home series with Old Dominion at the Holmes Center on Jan. 27 before closing out the month against Marshall in Huntington, W. Va. on Jan. 31.
The final West Division matchup of the regular season will feature a home showdown against Southern Miss on Feb. 6. The last time the Golden Eagles paid a visit to the Holmes Center, Myles Tate found CJ Huntley for a dramatic buzzer-beating dunk in a 60-58 win on Feb. 5, 2025.
League play heats up with a visit to James Madison on Feb. 10, before App State returns home to cap the week against Georgia Southern on Feb. 13.
The Mountaineers will remain home for a midweek matchup against Marshall on Feb. 18, before traveling to Georgia State to close out the week on Feb. 20.
The final week of the regular season will feature a Tuesday night road visit to Conway, S.C., to face Coastal Carolina on Feb. 23. App State will close out the regular season with a Friday night home tilt against James Madison on Feb. 26.
App State enters the 2026-27 season having won double digit conference games in three consecutive seasons, doing so for the first time since 1997-2000. Overall, the Mountaineers have posted a .500 record or better in all seven seasons under Kerns, the only time that has been accomplished in the program's Division I era.
The complete 2026-27 schedule will be announced at a later date.
App State Men's Basketball 2026-27 Conference Schedule
- Saturday, Dec. 19 — at Louisiana Tech
- Thursday, Dec. 31 — Troy (Home)
- Saturday, Jan. 2 — South Alabama (Home)
- Thursday, Jan. 7 — at Arkansas State
- Saturday, Jan. 9 — at ULM
- Wednesday, Jan. 13 — at Old Dominion
- Saturday, Jan. 16 — Georgia State (Home)
- Wednesday, Jan. 20 — Coastal Carolina (Home)
- Saturday, Jan. 23 — at Georgia Southern
- Wednesday, Jan. 27 — Old Dominion (Home)
- Saturday, Jan. 30 — at Marshall
- Saturday, Feb. 6 — Southern Miss (Home)
- Wednesday, Feb. 10 — at James Madison
- Saturday, Feb. 13 — Georgia Southern (Home)
- Thursday, Feb. 18 — Marshall (Home)
- Saturday, Feb. 20 — at Georgia State
- Tuesday, Feb. 23 — at Coastal Carolina
- Friday, Feb. 26 — James Madison (Home)
