Murray State Opens 2026-27 Season Against Tennessee State in Sioux Falls

Murray State men's basketball opens the 2026-27 college season against Tennessee State on Monday, 2 November, at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The Racers and Tigers meet as part of the Field of 68 Opening Day Marathon, a day-long run of games that began late Sunday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. ET, according to CBS Sports, while the Murray Ledger and Times lists a 10:30 a.m. start in its local preview.

A rematch with a former Ohio Valley rival

The Racers and Tigers were once heated Ohio Valley Conference rivals. Tennessee State finished 23-10 in 2025-26 and tied for the OVC regular-season title at 15-5. Murray State went 20-13 and tied for third in the Missouri Valley Conference at 12-8, its first season in that league.

Murray State enters the game with a 3-0 preseason record. Head coach Ryan Miller said the Racers were picked as the favorite in their new conference and that the Tigers would arrive motivated. "We have a bull's eye on our back the size of Texas," Miller said. He added that the team's close wins over Wichita State and Florida International, plus a closed-scrimmage blowout of Incarnate Word, showed the team what it must handle this season.

New faces and a defensive shift

Both rosters have been reshaped by transfers. Tennessee State added center Aaron Bradshaw and guard Arterio Morris, along with Ty-Laur Johnson, who averaged 14.6 points per game at San Diego. Morris averaged 11.5 points at Bethune-Cookman a year ago.

Murray State brought in guard Kaden Magwood from Auburn and forward Brigham Rogers from Belmont. Rogers started for a Belmont team that won the Valley regular-season title, and he averaged 7.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists. Guard Ben Shtolzberg is also expected to make his first official appearance for the Racers after sitting out last season with an injury.

Basket Under Review writers flagged a change in Murray State's approach. After finishing 244th nationally in defense last year, the program hired defensive-minded assistant Tony Barbee, and the Racers are expected to use a more switch-heavy pressure scheme. Their preseason opponents posted turnover rates the Racers forced at 18, 28 and 17 percent.

Betting lines and outside projections

Betting markets list Murray State as a 10.5-point favorite, with an over/under of 165.5 points, according to CBS Sports. The site's SportsLine projection model leans toward the Under and projects about 160 total points, though the model's picks are a prediction tool rather than a confirmed outcome.

Basket Under Review's preview argues the game could shape how the Racers are viewed in at-large discussions, while calling the Tigers' guard group a concern because of its turnover total. Those views are analysis, not results.

What next

The game will be streamed on the Field of 68 YouTube channel, with radio coverage on FROGGY 103.7 featuring Voice of the Racers Dave Winder and former Racers assistant Kenny Roth. The opener gives both teams an early look at a reshaped roster. Murray State's first major test in its new league comes after this game is played.

Final score and official box score were not available at the time of writing.