COLUMBUS, Ga. – Following a 25-win season, a Peach Belt Conference regular-season championship, and an NCAA Division II Tournament appearance, the Columbus State University Women's Basketball team has announced its 2026-27 schedule.
The Cougars enter the season after posting a 25-5 overall record and an 18-2 mark in Peach Belt Conference play in 2025-26. Columbus State captured the PBC regular-season title and advanced to the semifinals of the PBC Tournament before earning a berth in the NCAA Southeast Regional. CSU closed the regular season with 12 consecutive victories and won 19 of its final 21 regular-season games.
The successful season also brought major recognition to the program. Head coach Matt Houser was named the PBC Coach of the Year, while senior guard Letiya Reeves earned PBC Player of the Year and First Team All-PBC honors. Reeves was also selected to the D2CCA All-Southeast Region First Team.
The 2026-27 campaign features 28 regular-season games, including 13 at the Frank G. Lumpkin Jr. Center, 13 on the road, and two at neutral sites. The schedule includes 20 Peach Belt Conference contests and eight non-conference matchups against opponents from across the Southeast Region.
"I am really excited about our schedule this year, and I believe we have one of the toughest in the country," said Houser. "We start the season with an exhibition against our neighbor, Auburn University, and then take on one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. We love competition, and we intentionally seek out tough opponents because we believe playing the best prepares us for the Peach Belt and, ultimately, March Madness.
"We welcome the challenge. We want to be tested. We want to compete against the best. And we want to put ourselves in the best possible position to bring the championship home again. We're ready for the challenge."
Before the regular season, Columbus State will travel to Auburn for an exhibition against the Tigers on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
The regular season begins on Monday, Nov. 9, when the Cougars host West Alabama at 5:30 p.m. inside the Lumpkin Center. CSU will then travel to Salisbury, N.C., to face Catawba on Nov. 13 and Tusculum at a neutral site on Nov. 14.
Columbus State continues its non-conference slate the following weekend in Anderson, S.C. The Cougars will take on Wingate at a neutral site on Nov. 20 before facing Anderson on Nov. 21. CSU returns home to close November against Auburn Montgomery on Saturday, Nov. 28, at 2:30 p.m.
Peach Belt Conference play begins with consecutive road games at Lander on Wednesday, Dec. 2, and Flagler on Saturday, Dec. 5. The Cougars open their conference home schedule against North Georgia on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 5:30 p.m., followed by another home contest against Clayton State on Sunday, Dec. 13, at 1:30 p.m.
After traveling to Augusta for a conference matchup on Dec. 16, Columbus State closes the calendar year with a non-conference road game at Young Harris on Friday, Dec. 18.
The Cougars begin 2027 at home against Winston-Salem State on Saturday, Jan. 2, at 1:30 p.m. CSU then resumes conference action at the Lumpkin Center against USC Aiken on Jan. 6 before traveling to USC Beaufort on Jan. 9 and Georgia College on Jan. 13.
The remainder of January includes home games against Georgia Southwestern on Jan. 16, Lander on Jan. 23, and Flagler on Jan. 30. Columbus State will also visit Middle Georgia State on Jan. 20 and North Georgia on Jan. 27.
February begins with a home matchup against Augusta on Wednesday, Feb. 3. The Cougars will then travel to Clayton State on Feb. 6 before returning to Columbus for consecutive home games against USC Beaufort on Feb. 10 and Georgia College on Feb. 13.
The final stretch of the regular season includes a road contest at USC Aiken on Feb. 17, a home matchup against Middle Georgia State on Tuesday, Feb. 23, and the regular-season finale at Georgia Southwestern on Saturday, Feb. 27.
Columbus State went 18-2 against PBC opponents during the 2025-26 regular season. The Cougars will look to defend their conference regular-season title and return to the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2027.
