Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Men's Basketball to go head-to-head with Auburn in Rocket City Classic
6/3/2026 1:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Middle Tennessee men's basketball will take part in the Rocket City Classic this December, the second announced non-conference game for the 2026-27 season. The Blue Raiders are set to face off against Auburn at the Propst Arena in Huntsville, Ala. on December 15.
The appearance will mark a preview for the Conference USA Championships for Middle Tennessee, which take place in the same arena. 2026 marks the fourth edition of the Rocket City Classic presented by Akima, featuring two sellouts in the first three years since being relaunched.
"It's an honor for our team to play in this year's Rocket City Classic," said head coach Nick McDevitt. "We know that our season comes down to winning three games here in March and playing an outstanding Auburn team gives us great preparation for chasing the Conference USA title."
This will be the first time that the teams have faced off against each other under Coach McDevitt, though they have met before. Auburn leads the all-time series against the Blue Raiders 4-1, taking the last matchup in Birmingham, Ala. in the 2017-18 season.
The Tigers were selected to the NIT field a year ago during head coach Steve Pearl's first season at the helm, winning the tournament and finishing with a 22-16 record. They ranked 37th in the NET rankings and were receiving votes in the final AP Top 25 poll of the 2025-26 season.
The remaining competitions in the non-conference schedule, as well as times for the match ups, will be announced at a later date.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball on social media on Facebook (/MTMensBasketball), X (Twitter) (@MT_MBB) and Instagram (@mt_mbb).
The appearance will mark a preview for the Conference USA Championships for Middle Tennessee, which take place in the same arena. 2026 marks the fourth edition of the Rocket City Classic presented by Akima, featuring two sellouts in the first three years since being relaunched.
"It's an honor for our team to play in this year's Rocket City Classic," said head coach Nick McDevitt. "We know that our season comes down to winning three games here in March and playing an outstanding Auburn team gives us great preparation for chasing the Conference USA title."
This will be the first time that the teams have faced off against each other under Coach McDevitt, though they have met before. Auburn leads the all-time series against the Blue Raiders 4-1, taking the last matchup in Birmingham, Ala. in the 2017-18 season.
The Tigers were selected to the NIT field a year ago during head coach Steve Pearl's first season at the helm, winning the tournament and finishing with a 22-16 record. They ranked 37th in the NET rankings and were receiving votes in the final AP Top 25 poll of the 2025-26 season.
The remaining competitions in the non-conference schedule, as well as times for the match ups, will be announced at a later date.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Men's Basketball on social media on Facebook (/MTMensBasketball), X (Twitter) (@MT_MBB) and Instagram (@mt_mbb).
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