2024-25 Tennessee Tech Men's Basketball Schedule
By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The 2024-25 season awaits the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team, with another challenging non-conference slate on the horizon as the program released its full schedule for its sixth season under the direction of head coach John Pelphrey.
For the second straight year, 16 home games are featured in Hooper Eblen Center for Golden Eagles, including two exhibitions, four non-conference tilts, and 10 OVC contests. The schedule also presents 15 true road tests throughout the year, as well as two affairs at a neutral location.
The Tech men's squad will provide its first preview of the year in Cookeville with a charity exhibition on Oct. 22 with in-state rival Austin Peay, a return of last year's charity affair in Clarksville. On Oct. 29, the Golden Eagles will welcome in Oakland City as part of an exhibition doubleheader with the women's team (playing Lipscomb) for Tech's annual Purple Palooza.
Golden Eagle fans will need to dust off their record books to get a look at the last time the purple and gold squared off with the majority of its non-conference opponents for 2024-25. The Cookeville crew will take on seven of its nine known foes for the first time in more than 10 years or for the first time.
Opening the 2024-25 regular season, Tech will head to Athens, Ga. on Nov. 4 for its first meeting with Georgia since the 1994-95 campaign. Last season, the Bulldogs earned 20 wins before falling to eventual champion Seton Hall in the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).
Back in Cookeville for the home opener, the Golden Eagles will host Bryan College on Nov. 7, the first affair with the Lions since the 2009-10 season. On Nov. 12, Tech hosts new Division I foe West Georgia to the Hoop as part of a home-and-home series on the year.
Following the first tilt between the two schools since 1979-80, TTU will head to Carrollton, Ga. on Dec. 7 for the return trip. The Wolves will make the transition from Division II after turning in a 27-6 record, a 19-5 mark in league play, and both Gulf South Conference regular season and tournament titles.
A weekend in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. will see Tech open action at the Greenbrier Tip-Off with first-time foe VMI on Nov. 15. Day two of the affair will feature a match-up with the winner between the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) or Charleston Southern on Nov. 16. The most recent meeting between UTRGV and Tech came in 2013-14 when the program was still Texas-Pan American while the Golden Eagles' most recent battle with CSU occurred during the 1999-00 campaign.
Awaiting Tech following its multi-team event is a trek to Orlando and a visit with UCF on Nov. 19. Securing an NIT bid in its first year of Big 12 action, UCF hosts the purple and gold in the teams' first tilt since 2006-07.
After eking out a 79-75 win in overtime last season in Clinton, S.C., the Golden Eagles will play host to Presbyterian on Nov. 27, the first familiar foe for the Cookeville crew of the season. Two days later, Tech revives its in-state rivalry with Vanderbilt for the first time since 2008-09 with a quick appearance in Nashville on Nov. 29.
Continuing what will become part of a season-long five-game road swing, TTU heads to Florence, Ala. to take on North Alabama for the second year in a row on Dec. 4. Rounding out Tech's non-conference slate will be the team's first match-up with Milligan in over 20 years. The Golden Eagles host the in-state institution on Dec. 29.
OVC play begins with a road slate prior to Christmas, with the Golden Eagles visiting Western Illinois and Lindenwood on Dec. 17 and Dec. 19, respectively. Other league destinations for the purple and gold include Eastern Illinois (Jan. 9), SIUE (Jan. 11), Tennessee State (Jan. 23), UT Martin (Jan. 25), Morehead State (Jan. 30), Southern Indiana (Feb. 1), Little Rock (Feb. 13), and Southeast Missouri (Feb. 15).
The first home test for Tech in OVC play features match-ups with Southern Indiana on Jan. 2 and Morehead State on Jan. 4. Also making the trip to Cookeville will be Southeast Missouri (Jan. 16), Little Rock (Jan. 18), SIUE (Feb. 6), Eastern Illinois (Feb. 8), UT Martin (Feb. 20), Tennessee State (Feb. 22), Western Illinois (Feb. 27), and Lindenwood (Mar. 1).
The OVC Basketball Championships will once again take place at Evansville's Ford Center, scheduled for Mar. 5-8.
Game times for the 2024-25 season will be announced at a later date.
Season tickets for Tennessee Tech men's basketball are now on sale. To order, call 931-372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office, or visit TTUSports.com.
Photo by Jim Dillon
