Hooper Eblen Center gets loud. If you’ve ever been to Cookeville on a Thursday night when an OVC rival is in town, you know exactly what I’m talking about. There is something about the "Hoop" that just feels like old-school college hoops. Right now, everyone is looking at the tennessee tech basketball schedule to see if John Pelphrey’s squad can finally make that big leap in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Honestly, it’s been a bit of a roller coaster lately. As of mid-January 2026, the men’s team is sitting at 7-11 overall. That doesn’t tell the whole story, though. They’ve had some absolute heartbreakers and some gritty wins, like that 59-54 comeback against Western Illinois. You can’t just look at the record; you have to look at the travel and the way these games are falling.
The Mid-Season Gauntlet: Breakdown of the Tennessee Tech Basketball Schedule
The back half of the 2025-26 schedule is where the season is won or lost. We’re deep into OVC play now. The conference is a round-robin format this year, meaning everyone plays everyone twice—home and away. That’s 20 league games in total. It’s a grind.
If you’re planning your weekends around the Golden Eagles, here is what the immediate future looks like for the men's team:
On Saturday, January 17, 2026, Tech stays home to host Morehead State. This is a massive game. Morehead is always a physical test, and Pelphrey needs this one to keep pace in the standings. After that, the team hits the road for a tough Illinois swing. They’ll face Lindenwood on January 22 and then head over to SIU Edwardsville on January 24.
The travel in this conference is underratedly brutal. Driving from Cookeville to St. Charles, Missouri, then back to Edwardsville—it wears on the legs. Then, just three days later, they have to be in Nashville to play Tennessee State on January 27. It's basically a game every three days for a while.
Key Home Games at the Hoop
- January 31: Little Rock comes to town.
- February 5: Western Illinois visits.
- February 7: Eastern Illinois is on the schedule.
- February 19: SIUE (the return game).
- February 21: Lindenwood (the return game).
The regular season wraps up with a big one. Tennessee Tech will host UT Martin on February 26 before potentially heading into the OVC Tournament in Evansville, Indiana, which starts March 4.
What’s Happening with the Roster?
You can’t talk about the schedule without talking about who is actually on the floor. Brandon Muntu has been a spark plug lately. He dropped a career-high 22 points back in December, and when he’s hitting from deep, this team is dangerous.
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Then you’ve got Dani Pounds. He was the OVC Newcomer of the Week in early December for a reason. He gives them that size and interior presence they’ve desperately needed. Pelphrey also relies heavily on guys like Mekhi Cameron and Grant Slatten, who brings that local Sparta, Tennessee, energy to the court.
It’s a transfer-heavy era, obviously. Tech has guys from Georgia State, Northern Colorado, and even Ole Miss. Getting that chemistry to click while you’re in the middle of a three-game road trip is the hardest part of coaching in 2026.
Don’t Forget the Women’s Schedule
Kim Rosamond’s squad is in a similar battle. The women’s tennessee tech basketball schedule mirrors the men’s in a lot of ways, often playing doubleheaders. On January 17, they also face Morehead State at home, but with an earlier tip-off.
The women’s team has a slightly different rhythm, but the stakes are just as high. They’ve got some big upcoming home dates against Little Rock (Jan 31) and Western Illinois (Feb 5). Watching Reghan Grimes and the rest of the crew navigate the OVC is always worth the price of admission.
Watching from Home
Most people are catching these games on ESPN+. If you aren't at the Eblen Center, that’s your best bet. A few games get picked up for ESPNU or ESPN2 later in the season, but for the day-to-day OVC grind, the streaming service is where it’s at. If you’re a radio person, 106.1 The Eagle is still the home for Golden Eagle basketball.
The Evansville Goal
Everything in the tennessee tech basketball schedule leads to one place: the Ford Center in Evansville. The OVC Tournament (March 4-7, 2026) is the only thing that matters once March hits. Because the OVC is often a "one-bid league," you basically have to win the whole tournament to see the NCAA Big Dance.
Tech hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 1963 for the men. That’s a long drought. Every game on this January and February schedule is about seeding for Evansville. If you finish in the top two, you get a double-bye. If you’re in the middle of the pack, you’re playing every single day, which is nearly impossible to survive.
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Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you want to support the team or just stay updated, here’s how to handle the rest of the season:
- Check the Tip-Off Times: OVC games can shift for TV. Always double-check the official TTU Sports website the morning of the game, especially for those Saturday doubleheaders.
- Get Tickets Early for the UTM/TSU Games: These are the rivalries. The TSU game in Nashville usually draws a good Tech crowd, and the home finale against UT Martin on Feb 26 will likely be Senior Night.
- Monitor the Standings: Since the OVC is a round-robin now, every loss to a team like Lindenwood or SEMO counts double in terms of tiebreakers. Keep an eye on the "loss column" more than the win column.
- Support the Women's Team: They often play the opening game of the doubleheaders. Your ticket usually gets you into both, so show up early.
The path isn't easy, but that's what makes Cookeville basketball what it is. It's about the grind, the noise in the Eblen Center, and hoping that this is finally the year the Golden Eagles fly high in March.