COLUMBUS, Ga. - Columbus State University's men's and women's basketball teams both open their regular seasons at home on Monday, Nov. 9, at the Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center. The women face West Alabama at 5:30 p.m., and the men host Auburn University at Montgomery at 7:30 p.m. Both teams used the final week of October to tune up, and the men's team has one more tune-up before the opener.

The tune-up schedule

Columbus State held its annual Hoops Madness event at the Lumpkin Center on Monday night, according to WTVM. The event featured a dunk contest and a 3-point shootout. Women's coach Matt Houser told the station the team would face Auburn University in an exhibition on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. in Auburn, Ala. The result was not available when this story was reviewed.

Houser said the game offers a chance to play a Division I opponent. WTVM reported that Columbus State last played an exhibition at Auburn three years ago, and that the Cougars played an exhibition against the University of Tennessee in Knoxville last season. The men's team scrimmaged Pensacola State on Oct. 24 and had a scrimmage against West Alabama set for the Lumpkin Center on Oct. 30. Results of that scrimmage were not available when this story was written.

The next local date for fans is Thursday, Nov. 5, at 6:30 p.m., when the men play an exhibition against Georgia Power at the Lumpkin Center. The schedule page lists it as an exhibition, so it will not count in the standings.

Home games at a glance

The men's schedule lists 28 games, 12 of them at the Lumpkin Center, according to BVM Sports. The women's schedule lists 13 home games by a count of Columbus State's posted schedule. Peach Belt Conference home dates for both teams include North Georgia on Dec. 8, Clayton State on Dec. 13 and South Carolina Aiken (USCA) on Jan. 6.

Road trips before December

Both teams travel in November. The women play in a Region Crossover in Salisbury, N.C., on Nov. 13 against Tusculum and Nov. 14 against Catawba, then travel to the Anderson Classic in Anderson, S.C., on Nov. 21 and 22. The men play at Southern Wesleyan's tournament in Central, S.C., on Nov. 13 and 14.

The men then go to Mount Olive, N.C., for the Mt. Olive Pickle Classic on Nov. 20 and 21, and to Florence, S.C., for the Francis Marion Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 28 and 29. Conference play for the men starts Dec. 2 at Lander. The Peach Belt tournament is set for March 3, 6 and 7, though opponents and venues are not yet listed.

Source note: Reviewed by The Columbus Times from Columbus State Athletics' 2026-27 basketball schedules, a WTVM report dated Oct. 27, 2026, and a BVM Sports report dated Aug. 25, 2026. The Oct. 28 exhibition result was not available.