Southern Miss Football Schedule Includes Rivalry Games and Playoff Contender
The Sun Belt Conference just dropped its new football schedule for Southern Miss, and honestly, there’s a lot to unpack. This announcement was delayed, thanks to Louisiana Tech’s legal back-and-forth with Conference USA over its jump to the Sun Belt.
Louisiana Tech is stepping in for Texas State, which is off to join the revamped Pac-12. Southern Miss has a mix of home and away games, with the season wrapping up against Old Dominion.
So, what does this all mean for the Golden Eagles in 2023?
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Southern Miss Football’s New-Look Schedule
The Sun Belt Conference took its sweet time releasing this schedule, and people definitely noticed. The holdup? Louisiana Tech’s legal squabble as it tried to speed up its move to the SBC.
Honestly, it’s a bit of déjà vu—Southern Miss went through something similar back in 2022 when it joined the conference and the schedule got shuffled at the last minute.
Key Changes and Highlights
This year, the SBC has shaken up its usual format. Most notably, Southern Miss and Troy will now play their season opener on Tuesday, October 6, instead of closing out the season.
That game doubles as the conference opener for new head coach Blake Anderson. Kind of a big moment, right?
The other big headline: Louisiana Tech is now on the schedule, taking over Texas State’s spot. With Texas State out and Louisiana Tech in, both programs are stepping into pretty unfamiliar territory.
Home and Away Games
Southern Miss fans have some good home games to look forward to this year. The Golden Eagles will host Arkansas State, Louisiana, James Madison (yep, the 2025 CFP participant), and South Alabama.
Should be some solid football on their own turf.
Home Games
- Arkansas State
- Louisiana
- James Madison (Thursday)
- South Alabama
On the road, things get a little tougher. The team will travel to ULM, Louisiana Tech, and Old Dominion.
None of those are easy places to play, honestly.
Away Games
- ULM
- Louisiana Tech
- Old Dominion
Full Schedule Breakdown
Here’s the full schedule for Southern Miss:
- Sept. 5: Alcorn State
- Sept. 12: at Auburn
- Sept. 19: UConn
- Sept. 26: at Tulane
- Oct. 6: at Troy (Tuesday)
- Oct. 17: Arkansas State
- Oct. 24: Louisiana
- Oct. 31: at ULM
- Nov. 5: James Madison (Thursday)
- Nov. 14: at Louisiana Tech
- Nov. 21: South Alabama
- Nov. 28: at Old Dominion
Spring Practice and Preparation
Spring practice kicks off March 24, and that’s going to be a huge deal for this team. With so many changes, getting everyone on the same page is more important than ever.
Importance of Spring Practice
It’s a chance for coaches to see what they’ve got, try out new plays, and hopefully build some chemistry. For a program in transition, this spring could set the tone for the whole season.
The 2023 season is shaping up to be an interesting ride for Southern Miss football. There’s a new head coach in town, and the schedule looks pretty different this year.
The Golden Eagles have some tough matchups ahead. Honestly, it feels like they’re ready to shake things up in the Sun Belt Conference.
If you want to dig into all the details, check out the full article on Sun Herald.
