Report: LSU, Texas Tech to meet in neutral site matchup in 2025

LSU and Texas Tech will do battle in a non-conference, neutral site matchup during the 2025-26 college basketball season, according to Jon Rothstein. The game is expected to be played on Dec. 7 inside Dickies Arena in Forth Worth.

There is no timetable for the matchup as of this report. However, it will be the 10th all-time matchup between the Tigers and Red Raiders. Texas Tech holds a 6-3 record over LSU all-time, most recently a win on the road in Baton Rouge in 2023.

Texas Tech is coming off a run to the Elite Eight during the 2024-25 season. They fell to eventual national champions Florida 84-79 in that matchup, but held a 10-point lead over the Gators during the game. They finished the season 28-9 overall and figure to be one of the top players in the Big 12 Conference this coming winter.

For LSU, the Tigers have continued to struggle under head coach Matt McMahon, who is entering his fourth season at the helm of the men’s basketball program. He’s compiled a 45-53 overall record over that time including his Tigers going 14-18 this past season.

On paper, the Red Raiders will likely be the early favorite during the non-conference matchup. Not only is Texas Tech expected to be highly-ranked to begin the season, the game is being played in Texas despite its neutral site designation. Though, Forth Worth is quite the drive from Lubbock.

While Texas Tech fans might look at this matchup as one they could take rather handily, LSU head coach Matt McMahon has been trying to piece together a roster built for success in the modern SEC landscape. He recent discussed his roster for the upcoming 2025-26 season, built from a top 25 recruiting class and a healthy dose of incoming transfers.

“We’ve been able to put together a really good roster. Really excited to get to work this summer on building our team and establishing a culture that will lead to winning. If we can stay focused on those processes of building a winning culture, the results and outcomes will take care of themselves as we get to league play.”

As both teams continue to fill out their schedules for the 2025-26 season, this matchup is a date that could be looked at as a must-win matchup when considering its resume for March. However, given the game is set for early December it won’t make-or-break either team’s season.