The 2024–25 Mississippi State women’s basketball team’s non-conference schedule will feature two matchups with teams from the previous season.
Public records accessed by GenesPage.com indicate that next year, the Bulldogs under the tutelage of Sam Purcell will play host to Belmont and Memphis at The Humphrey Coliseum. This is in continuation of a home-and-home series that started last year. Last year, the Bulldogs hosted Belmont and Memphis, where they defeated the Bruins 63–62 and the Tigers 81–63.
The game contracts indicate that this year’s Memphis game will take place in Starkville on November 7, but the date for Belmont is still up in the air.
Starkville will also play host to four non-conference games for the Bulldogs: November 13 against Alabama State, November 10 against Alcorn State, November 20 against Mercer, and December 29 against South Carolina State.
On November 29th, Mississippi State will play Jacksonville in the Orlando Invitational, a four-team tournament that also features South Florida and Louisville.
Over the course of the program’s history, the Bulldogs have defeated Alabama State six times, the most recent being in 2022. Mississippi State will fork over $25,000 to Alabama State for the Starkville match, per the terms of the game contract.
Over the course of the program’s twelve years, the Bulldogs have defeated Alcorn State ten times, the most recent being last season’s 77-42 triumph at Starkville. The agreement states that in order for Mississippi State to play Alcorn State at Starkville, Alcorn State will be paid $25,000.
Head coach Michelle Clark-Heard, who was an assistant under Purcell at Mississippi State in 2023, will be making her return to Starkville this season with the Mercer Bears. The last time the Bulldogs and Bears met was during the 2014–15 season, and since then, Mercer has a 3-2 record against the Bulldogs. The matchup will earn Mercer $25,000.
In the 2021–22 season, Mississippi State defeated South Carolina State 85–47, marking the only meeting between the two schools in program history. For their Starkville game, the Lady Bulldogs will get $30,000.
As far as the program’s records are concerned, the women’s basketball team will face Jacksonville for the first time ever in the Orlando Invitational. The contract for the tournament states that Mississippi State will face whoever comes out on top between South Florida and Louisville.
The 2024–25 Southeastern Conference schedule for Mississippi State Bulldogs has already been released, and it includes South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas, Auburn, and Oklahoma. Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Missouri, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt are on their itinerary.
After missing out on last year’s NCAA Tournament, Mississippi State is back under Purcell’s tutelage for their third season and will be aiming to make it back this year. Before falling to Penn State in the WBIT quarterfinals, the Bulldogs made it thus far.
