HAMMOND, La. – The Southeastern Louisiana University men's basketball is getting ready for its new season and it now knows its full path for the year as the team announced its 2023-24 slate on Thursday.
 
After a home exhibition contest against Texas-Tyler gets Southeastern warmed up, the season begins in earnest on Monday, November 6^th when Delta State comes to the Pride Roofing University Center.
 
The next five games will all be on the road with the trip starting with back-to-back tests against power 5 schools. On Friday, November 10^th, SLU travels to The Plains for a date with the SEC's Auburn Tigers, a team that made the NCAA Tournament in the spring. Five days later, the Lions start a westward swing with a trip to Utah to take on first-year Big XII foe, BYU. The trip out west ends on November 18^th in California as Southeastern plays its first contest of the Emerald Coast Classic at Santa Clara, a team that played in the 2023 NIT.
 
The remainder of the Emerald Coast Classic will be played at Northwest Florida State College in Niceville on November 24^th and 25^th as the Lions play Western Michigan on the 24^th with the result of that game and the result of the Tennessee State vs. Mercer game determining what team and time Southeastern will play on the 25^th.
 
22 days following its official season and home opener, SLU comes back home on November 28^th to close out the moth with a game against NAIA squad Southern University New Orleans. The trip home will be fleeting, however, as the next four following the SUNO game will be on road, though three will be within the state.
 
The four-game road swing to open the month of December kicks off with a trip to the state capitol as the Lions play both teams in Baton Rouge, starting on December 1^st at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center against SLU's third power 5 foe, LSU. On December 9^th, Southeastern heads to the Bluff for a contest against Southern before the Louisiana portion of the road trip ends on December 12^th in Ruston against Louisiana Tech. The road trip end four days later in Kentucky against Murray State and former SLU assistant coach Steve Prohm who is the current head coach of the Racers. Prohm was on Billy Kennedy's SLU staff from 1999-2001 and helped lead the Lions to two regular season championships and Southeastern's first trip to the NCAA Tournament.
 
With the second extended road trip behind them, the Lions come home to close out 2023 with a pair of home games in the Pride Roofing University Center, December 20^th against Grambling and December 30^th against Loyola-New Orleans, a Wolf Pack squad that's coming off another NAIA National Tournament appearance just a year after winning the NAIA National Championship.
 
"We're looking forward to testing out team with an extremely tough nonconference schedule," said SLU head men's basketball coach David Kiefer. "When you go on the road and play top 25 teams and power five schools, you really figure out what type of team you're going to have and how they handle adversity. We look forward to playing some of the best competition in the country and some of the best venues in the country."
 
The 2024 portion of the schedule is all about Southland Conference play, starting with three-straight on the road against New Orleans, Nicholls, and McNeese on January 6^th, 8^th, and 13^th, respectively.
 
SLU's conference home opener is on Monday, January 15^th when the revamped defending SLC champion Texas A&M-Corpus Christi comes to Hammond, America. That's the first of three straight games inside the Pride Roofing University Center for Southeastern as Texas A&M-Commerce comes in for the Battle of the Lions on January 20^th. A retooled Northwestern State comes to town on January 22^nd to end the home stand.
 
The next week sees the Lions head to Texas for games against Lamar on the January 27^th and Houston Christian on January 29^th. That's followed by a week at home with the return trip by McNeese to Hammond to open the month of February on the 3^rd while the season's first meeting with Incarnate Word happens in the Pride Roofing University Center on the 5^th.
 
Back on the road the next week, the Lions make the return trip to Natchitoches on February 10^th to take on Northwestern State. That's followed by the return trip to Commerce to take on Texas A&M-Commerce.
 
Four of Southeastern's final six games will be in the friendly confines of the Pride Roofing University Center, starting on February 17^th when Houston Christian makes the return trip to Hammond. Two days later, Lamar comes to Hammond to finish the season series. The home stand ends on February 24^th as the New Orleans come to the Pride Roofing University Center. March opens with the final road trip of the season as the Lions head to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for a March 2^nd contest. On March 4^th, the Lions close out the road portion of the 2023-24 schedule with a trip to San Antonio and Incarnate Word. The regular season ends at home on March 6^th when Nicholls makes the trip to Hammond, America.
 
The Southland Conference Championship Tournament returns to Lake Charles from March 10^th – 13^th at McNeese's Legacy Center.
 
2023-24 Southeastern Men's Basketball Schedule:
Nov. 1 | Texas-Tyler (exh.) | Hammond
Nov. 6 | Delta State | Hammond
Nov. 10 | at Auburn | Auburn, Ala.
Nov. 15 | at BYU | Provo, Utah
Nov. 18 | at Santa Clara^ | Santa Clara, Calif.
Nov. 24 | vs. Western Michigan^ | Niceville, Fla.
Nov. 25 | vs. Tennessee State OR Mercer^ | Niceville, Fla.
Nov. 28 | SUNO | Hammond
Dec. 1 | at LSU | Baton Rouge, La.
Dec. 9 | at Southern | Baton Rouge, La.
Dec. 12 | at Louisiana Tech | Ruston, La.
Dec. 16 | at Murray State | Murray, Ky.
Dec. 20 | Grambling | Hammond
Dec. 30 | Loyola-New Orleans | Hammond
Jan. 6 | at New Orleans* | New Orleans, La.
Jan. 8 | at Nicholls* | Thibodaux, La.
Jan. 13 | at McNeese* | Lake Charles, La.
Jan. 15 | Texas A&M-Corpus Christi* | Hammond
Jan. 20 | Texas A&M-Commerce* | Hammond
Jan. 22 | Northwestern State* | Hammond
Jan. 27 | at Lamar* | Beaumont, Texas
Jan. 29 | at HCU* | Houston, Texas
Feb. 3 | McNeese* | Hammond
Feb. 5 | UIW* | Hammond
Feb. 10 | at Northwestern State* | Natchitoches, La.
Feb. 12 | at Texas A&M-Commerce* | Commerce, Texas
Feb. 17 | HCU* | Hammond
Feb. 19 | Lamar* | Hammond
Feb. 24 | New Orleans* | Hammond
March 2 | at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi* | Corpus Christi, Texas
March 4 | at UIW* | San Antonio, Texas
March 6 | Nicholls* | Hammond
March 10-13 | SLC Tournament | Lake Charles, La.
 
Home games in bold | * - Southland Conference game | ^ - Emerald Coast Classic game
 
HARDWOOD CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the basketball program are encouraged to join the Hardwood Club.  Lion alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letterwinners.  All membership fees and donations to Hardwood Club are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern basketball program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern is implementing mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.