The Mizzou women’s basketball schedule continues to come together, as the SEC released the opponents and sites for all teams on Tuesday.
The other games announced for the 2026-27 season include a matchup against Kansas State in Kansas City on Nov. 22 and a road showdown against Florida State on Dec. 3 in the SEC/ACC Challenge.
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The Tigers’ 16-game conference slate will include facing every team in the conference plus both a home-and-away game against a surging Vanderbilt squad. Here are the top takeaways from the announcement and what it means for year two under coach Kellie Harper.
Home cookin’
One of the biggest ways the Tigers can improve this season is by making Mizzou Arena a more formidable place to play. During year one under Coach Harper, Mizzou ended the year 2-6 at home against SEC opponents. They will have several opportunities to surpass that number with showdowns against Arkansas, Florida and Mississippi State; three of the bottom five in the SEC last season.
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After breaking a 12-game losing streak against Arkansas in February 2025, the Tigers have flipped the script by winning the last three matchups. They have also found success against Mississippi State, winning the regular season matchups the last two years. That stretch also included a Bulldogs win in the opening round of the SEC tournament during the 2024-25 season.
Florida poses the most difficult matchup out of these three, as the Tigers have lost the last five matchups to the Gators by a combined 75 points. But with Florida losing leading scorer Liv McGill to the transfer portal, it gives Mizzou a prime opportunity to take them down.
The rest of the showdowns at Mizzou Arena will be uphill battles as Mizzou hosts Vanderbilt, LSU, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee. These five teams all made the NCAA Tournament, with three making the Sweet 16 and South Carolina reaching the NCAA championship game for the fifth time under Dawn Staley.
The matchup that intrigues me the most, however, is the showdown with the Lady Volunteers.
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Toppling Tennessee
The Tigers should come into this game with revenge on the mind. When the two teams met in Knoxville last year, Tennessee ran Mizzou out of the building in a 98-53 beatdown. This will be Harper’s first time hosting Tennessee, and they will see a very different team this time around.
Head coach Kim Caldwell lost EVERY player in the portal, having to rebuild the entire team from scratch. While there is still plenty of talent for the Vols, it’s easy to imagine the cohesion and experience of the Tigers holding a larger advantage. Grace Slaughter has performed quite well against Tennessee historically, averaging 16.67 in her three career matchups against Big Orange. In her final season at Mizzou, it’s her final chance to final topple the legendary program.
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Anchor Down
Mizzou lucked out in its home-and-home opponent last season, drawing Arkansas and beating them on both occasions. This year is a different story, as the Tigers will have to contend with Vanderbilt.
The Commodores are one of the fastest rising teams in women’s basketball, reaching the Sweet 16 a mere three seasons after missing the tournament. Mizzou struggled in their last matchup against the Commodores, falling on the road 99-68.
Vanderbilt will likely be a contender both in the SEC and in the NCAA Tournament once again under Shea Ralph, sparked by a returning Mikayla Blakes. As a sophomore, Blakes averaged 27 points and 2.9 steals per game. In the matchup against Mizzou, she poured in 20 points while dishing out six assists.
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While an upset against Vandy seems unlikely, the Tigers will have two attempts to try and pull off the improbable.
Road Rumbles
If Mizzou wants to reach its first NCAA Tournament since the 2018-19 season, there’s a strong chance it will come down to road showdowns in conference play. In addition to Vanderbilt, the Tigers will travel to play Texas, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Texas A&M.
On paper, Mizzou stands the best chance to collect wins against the final four teams listed above, as they all finished .500 or below in SEC play last season. One team that stands out specifically is Alabama. While Mizzou lost both matchups against the Tide last season, Alabama is facing significant turnover after the departure of coach Kristy Curry to UCF. While new coach Pauline Love certainly brings excitement, that lack of stability may lead to a dropoff in year one.
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If the Tigers aim to make the NCAA Tournament with the extended field and avoid entering Day 1 of the SEC Tournament as underdogs (again), the goal should be about six wins against conference foes. While this seems low, a competitive conference like the SEC allows for little year-over-year improvement. In fact, this would be the most wins in conference play since the 2022-23 season.
With both the returning talent and new sparkplugs coach Harper has brought for year two, there is plenty to be excited about as the Mizzou women’s basketball schedule continues to unfold.
