Ole Miss fans won’t have to wait until the regular season to get their first look at Chris Beard’s new-look Rebels.
Coach Chris Beard
Ole Miss will face Alabama in the Ballin in Boutwell preseason exhibition on Thursday, Oct. 15, at historic Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT, giving two of the SEC’s top programs an early test just weeks before the start of the 2026-27 season.
For the Rebels, the exhibition will provide an immediate measuring stick. Beard completely reshaped his frontcourt during the offseason by adding transfers Stefan Cicic, James Scott, and Roman Siulepa, giving Ole Miss more size, athleticism and depth than it had a season ago. A matchup against an Alabama team led by Nate Oats should quickly reveal how the new pieces fit together on both ends of the floor.
“We’re excited for this opportunity to play Alabama in the Ballin in Boutwell exhibition game,” Beard said. “Games like this are about preparing our team for future tests. This is a great opportunity to challenge our guys in October.”
There’s also a little history between these teams. Last March, Ole Miss knocked off then-No. 15 Alabama 80-79 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals, earning one of its biggest wins of the season before making a deeper postseason run. That result adds another layer of intrigue to what is technically just an exhibition.
The Ballin in Boutwell event has become one of the South’s premier preseason basketball showcases, bringing high-profile programs to downtown Birmingham each October. While the outcome won’t count in the standings, it should give Ole Miss fans an early look at lineup combinations, rotation battles and the potential of what many believe could be Chris Beard’s deepest roster since arriving in Oxford.
