The LSU Tigers have heard the subtle (and not so subtle) complaints about their non-conference schedule, and it looks like the team is doing something about it. In the Thursday, January 15, episode of Rebecca Lobo's "A Touch More" podcast, the UConn alum and WNBA great told listeners the Tigers will play the Huskies during the 2026-27 season — yet another sign the program wants to make it clear they are willing to play anyone and everyone at any point in the season.
Per @RebeccaLobo, UConn women's basketball will play LSU in Nashville next season. ESPN will broadcast it https://t.co/KQmSJhJgRB
— Daniel Connolly (@DanielVConnolly) January 15, 2026
Lobo didn't offer too many details, but the Huskies and the Tigers will play in Nashville, Tennessee, at some point before conference play kicks in. While LSU's head coach Kim Mulkey hasn't given a statement on the new game (yet), it's not unreasonable to take this as a sign she and the Tigers want to prove themselves after playing what many considered to be a fairly breezy non-conference schedule this season.
Mulkey was asked about that non-conference schedule following the team's 65-61 loss to Vanderbilt this month, and she had a quick reply. “Probably a good thing that we did play that, right?” Mulkey said. “Because if we’d have played anything tougher, we might be sitting here with a lot of losses. A bunch of teams are knocking people off in conference all across the country.”
(LSU's longtime coach also noted that the team can't "out-talent" others — but that's a reality that might be changing. The Tigers recently beat then-No. 2 Texas, the first time the program has toppled an AP-ranked top two team since 2008.)
UConn has made other non-conference changes, too
UConn previously announced they will meet the South Carolina Gamecocks at neutral sites in 2026 and in 2027. The two teams will play the 2026 Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena on Nov. 24, 2026 before they then head to Charlotte, North Carolina in Nov. 2027 for the Ally Tip-Off. The 2025-26 season marked the first time the two teams haven't played one another since the 2013-14 season.
Though the Huskies and the Gamecocks have won 8 of the last 12 NCAA Championships between them, UConn is 11-5 all-time against South Carolina. The team also pulled off a decisive 82-59 win against South Carolina in Tampa, Florida, last April.
UConn's non-conference schedule next year will also include away games at Louisville, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Florida State. The Huskies will also participate in the Champions Classic at Barclays Center.