CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Big South Conference released the men's basketball conference schedule for the 2025-26 campaign. The High Point Panthers will take on each of the other eight Big South opponents twice through the months of January and February. The conference regular-season will end on February 28, before the 2026 Hercules Tires Big South Men's & Women's Basketball Championships, which returns to Johnson City, Tennessee at Freedom Hall for the second consecutive year.
 
The games will remain on a Wednesday and Saturday schedule throughout the two months, except for four dates – Jan. 29, Feb. 12, Feb. 19 and Feb. 26 - which will air ESPNU games on Thursday. To keep the competition fair during the ESPNU selections, all games will be played on Thursday night across the conference. The Panthers will have bye games on Wednesday, January 21 and Saturday, February 28.
 
High Point opens the season on the road on Wednesday, December 31 to kick-off the New Year at UNC Asheville. The Panthers and Bulldogs split a pair of games last season, each winning on their home courts in high scoring fashion by a margin of four.  
 
The Panthers return home for two back-to-back games inside the Qubein Center, first against the Longwood Lancers on Saturday, January 3 and then against Gardner-Webb for a mid-week matchup on Wednesday, January 8. A season ago, HPU fell to Longwood on a buzzer shot in Farmville before turning the page and dominating on the home court with a nine-point victory. As for the matchup with Gardner-Webb, the Panthers defeated the Runnin' Bulldogs three times last season with a 20-point win in the Big South Tournament Quarterfinals. HPU and GWU have matched up 72 times since 1970.
 
High Point hits the road for a two-game road week at Charleston Southern on Saturday, January 10 and then at Winthrop on Wednesday, January 14. HPU has played against the Buccaneers every season since joining the Big South and will face each other for the 53rd time in the last 26 years. The Panthers and Eagles most recently matched up in the Big South Tournament game final as High Point walked away with an 81-69 victory after making a 15-point come back in the second half. The Panthers won its first-ever Big South Tournament title for its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
 
High Point hosts USC Upstate on Saturday, January 17 for its 18th meeting with the Spartans. HPU has a bye week on Wednesday, January 21 before traveling to Radford, Virginia to play the Highlanders on Saturday, January 24. High Point defeated Radford in all three contests last season with a three-point victory in the Big South Tournament semifinals.
 
The Qubein Center will host Presbyterian on Thursday, January 29 for the 39th meeting between the two teams since 1943. High Point has a quick, two-day turnaround following the Presbyterian game to begin the second half of Big South Conference play on the last weekend on January. HPU will travel to Farmville, Virginia to play Longwood on Saturday, January 31.
 
HPU hosts Charleston Southern and Radford on Wednesday, February 4 and Saturday, February 7. The Panthers will hit the road for two away games, first at USC Upstate on Thursday, February 12 and then at Gardner-Webb on Saturday, February 14.
 
On Thursday, February 19 HPU will welcome UNC Asheville to the Qubein Center before hosting Winthrop two-days later on Saturday, February 21.
 
The Panthers' last game of the regular-season will take place on the road at Presbyterian on Thursday, February 26. HPU will have a week to prepare for the Big South Tournament.
 
The 2026 Hercules Tires Big South Men's & Women's Basketball Championships, hosted in Johnson City, Tennessee at Freedom Hall will begin on March 4.
 
The 2025-26 season will be filled with entertainment inside the Qubein Center, including big time half-time acts, giveaways, and other fan engagement opportunities. Be sure to visit our tickets page to purchase your tickets for this season.