MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Faulkner has released its 2026-27 women's basketball schedule for the program's third season under Jacob Roark's leadership.
Per the annual tradition, basketball season opens with the annual Jimmy Faulkner Classic, starting on October 30-31 with the Lady Eagles playing at 5 pm on both days. There is no easing into the schedule as Faulkner takes on defending national champion Marian, who finished the 2025-26 season with a 35-2 record and the Crossroads League Championship and defeated the defending repeat national champion before them in Dordt to capture the Red Banner. The Saturday matchup marks the return trip by LSU Alexandria, who the Lady Eagles dispatched 80-63 on the road last season. Defending SSAC champion William Carey is the other participant, and the Lady Crusaders will take on the Knights and Generals at 1 pm on the opposite days as Faulkner.
The Lady Eagles travel to Bryan next before making a return trip to Reinhardt on Nov. 6. Faulkner defeated Reinhardt 68-55 last year, as the Georgia-based program finished the season 23-7 and made the Appalachian Conference Championship game.
SSAC play begins at Tine Davis on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 5:30 pm against UT Southern before hosting Blue Mountain Christian at noon that Saturday. On the 19th, Faulkner travels to Mobile before heading to William Carey on the 21st. The Lady Eagles then step out of SSAC play to travel to Bethel on Tuesday of Thanksgiving break.
On Tuesday, December 1, the Lady Eagles welcome new SSAC member Xavier to Tine Davis at 5:30 pm. Then on Saturday, the 5th, at noon, the program plays its "Big Game" as it welcomes Kellie Kennedy's Loyola squad to campus for the last time. After going 25-5 and making the SSAC Semifinals and NAIA Second Round last season, the Wolf Pack prepare for their last season in the SSAC before transitioning to NCAA Division II next year. Faulkner travels to Life and Point the next week.
The team wraps up its schedule ahead of Christmas break with the inaugural Holiday Bash as Faulkner welcomes six other programs for the tournament from Dec. 16-18. The Lady Eagles top it off with a 1 pm game on the 16th against defending Appalachian champion Milligan, who went 23-8 last season with a 19-1 AAC mark before falling in the NAIA First Round to Loyola. Faulkner then wraps up the event on Friday, the 18th against Campbellsville at 3 pm, a Lady Tiger squad that went 25-8 in 2025-26 and advanced to the NAIA Quarterfinals before falling to Marian. Other teams in the event are Bethel and Reinhardt and SSAC members William Carey and Brewton-Parker Christian.
The spring semester gets kicked off on January 2 as Bryan makes the return trip to Tine Davis. On the 5th, Faulkner travels to the greater Atlanta area for a second time this season for a first-time matchup with second-year program Georgia Gwinnett. The Grizzlies are led by former Point head coach Tory Wooley. The Lady Eagles then return home for new SSAC opponents in Wesleyan on January 9 at noon and Andrew on the 14th at 5:30 pm and then Thomas on the 16th at noon. Faulkner spends the last two weeks of January on the road, first at ABAC and BPCU and then making the return trips to UTS and BMCU.
The Lady Eagles then play host to Carey and Mobile on February 4th and 6th, respectively, the latter game marking Senior Day. The regular season wraps up for Faulkner the next week as they make the return trip to New Orleans to take on XULA on the 11th and Loyola on the 13th.
A 10-day layoff ensues before the SSAC Championship downtown at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl from Feb. 23-27. The NAIA First and Second Rounds takes place at campus sites on March 12-13 before the Final Site in Sioux City, Iowa, is held from March 18-23.
Additionally, the Lady Eagles will hold JV contests for the first time, albeit without an official varsity/junior varsity split, after a program hiatus in 2025-26. Ahead of the varsity contests at 4 pm CT at Bryan and Reinhardt in November, the JV games will be held at 2 pm CT on those days. JV will then host crosstown rival Huntingdon on Nov. 9 at noon. On January 2, Bryan JV will also play at noon before the varsity plays at 2 pm. Lastly, the JV team makes the return trip to Huntingdon on Jan. 11.
