Louisiana Tech Basketball Tip-Off to Give Fans an Inside Look at 2026–27 Season
8/25/2026 4:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball
Three ways to get in the action
RUSTON | Louisiana Tech fans will have a new opportunity to get closer to Bulldog and Lady Techster Basketball ahead of the 2026–27 season with the 2026 Basketball Tip-Off, set for Saturday, Sept. 26, inside the Thomas Assembly Center.
Built around access, connection, and an inside look at how Louisiana Tech Basketball prepares for the season ahead, the event will take fans beyond the traditional preseason banquet with live shootarounds, mic'd-up coaches, a live coach Q&A, and more.
Don't just hear about the season. See how it's built.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with heavy appetizers, a cash bar, and a silent auction before the program begins at 6 p.m.
The Lady Techsters will take the floor first at 6:05 p.m., giving guests an up-close look at practice, preparation, and the upcoming season during a 40-minute shootaround. Coaches will be mic'd up throughout the session, allowing fans to hear the instruction, communication, and details that go into preparing a team for the season.
Bulldog Basketball follows at 6:45 p.m. with its own 45-minute shootaround, providing another behind-the-scenes look at the work taking place on the court.
Following the two on-court sessions, the evening shifts to a moderated Basketball Tip-Off Coach Q&A featuring the head coaches from both programs. The conversation will look ahead to the 2026–27 season before the floor is opened for questions directly from the audience.
The silent auction will remain open throughout the evening and close at 8 p.m., with closing remarks and winners announced to follow before the program concludes at 8:30 p.m.
"Basketball Tip-Off is about closing the distance between our fans and our programs," said Ryan Ivey, Vice President and Director of Athletics. "We wanted to build an event where you don't just hear about the season — you're in the room for it, whether that's courtside hearing our coaches work or in the stands watching it all unfold. Every fan has a way in, and that's exactly the experience we set out to build."
"We're excited for the tip-off event to introduce the 2026-27 Lady Techsters to our fans," said Lady Techsters Head Coach Brooke Stoehr. "We have a great mix of veteran returners and exciting newcomers who have worked extremely hard in preparation for the season. We're looking forward to our first year in the Sun Belt and competing for a championship in March. We can't wait to get started and need everyone at the TAC to help make it the best home-court advantage in the Sun Belt."
"This is a chance for our fans to see the work before the season even starts," Bulldogs Head Coach Talvin Hester said. "The details, the habits, the standard we're building this program on, that's what you will see during this event. Tip-Off gives them a front-row seat to that, and our guys feed off that energy. We're excited to bring the community inside the gym and show them what we're building heading into our first year in the Sun Belt."
Three Ways to Be Part of Tip-Off
Whether fans want to experience the evening courtside or simply be in the building as a new season begins, Basketball Tip-Off offers multiple ways to be part of the night.
Reserved Table – $250 | Includes reserved seating for eight, court access, heavy appetizers, table-sign recognition, and an autographed basketball for the table buyer.
Reserved Individual – $25 Presale / $30 Walk-Up | Includes reserved court access and heavy appetizers, putting fans closer to the action throughout the evening.
Arena Seating – FREE | All fans are invited to watch both shootarounds and the evening's program from the Thomas Assembly Center seating at no charge. Free arena seating does not include court
access or food.
From a courtside seat to a seat in the stands, Basketball Tip-Off is designed to give every Louisiana Tech fan a chance to experience the start of basketball season.
2026 Basketball Tip-Off | Saturday, September 26 | Thomas Assembly Center
Both programs officially tip off the season on Monday, Nov. 2, as part of the MAC-SBC Challenge. Bulldog Basketball opens at home against Kent State inside the Thomas Assembly Center, while the Lady Techsters travel to Toledo. The Lady Techsters make their home debut Thursday, Nov. 5 against Texas A&M-Texarkana at 11:30 a.m.
The 2026–27 schedule also brings a new slate of Sun Belt opponents and regional rivals to the Thomas Assembly Center during Louisiana Tech's inaugural season in the league.
Reserved tables and individual tickets for the 2026 Basketball Tip-Off are available now at LATechSports.com/tipoff.
Don't just hear about the season. See how it's built.
Built around access, connection, and an inside look at how Louisiana Tech Basketball prepares for the season ahead, the event will take fans beyond the traditional preseason banquet with live shootarounds, mic'd-up coaches, a live coach Q&A, and more.
Don't just hear about the season. See how it's built.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with heavy appetizers, a cash bar, and a silent auction before the program begins at 6 p.m.
The Lady Techsters will take the floor first at 6:05 p.m., giving guests an up-close look at practice, preparation, and the upcoming season during a 40-minute shootaround. Coaches will be mic'd up throughout the session, allowing fans to hear the instruction, communication, and details that go into preparing a team for the season.
Bulldog Basketball follows at 6:45 p.m. with its own 45-minute shootaround, providing another behind-the-scenes look at the work taking place on the court.
Following the two on-court sessions, the evening shifts to a moderated Basketball Tip-Off Coach Q&A featuring the head coaches from both programs. The conversation will look ahead to the 2026–27 season before the floor is opened for questions directly from the audience.
The silent auction will remain open throughout the evening and close at 8 p.m., with closing remarks and winners announced to follow before the program concludes at 8:30 p.m.
"Basketball Tip-Off is about closing the distance between our fans and our programs," said Ryan Ivey, Vice President and Director of Athletics. "We wanted to build an event where you don't just hear about the season — you're in the room for it, whether that's courtside hearing our coaches work or in the stands watching it all unfold. Every fan has a way in, and that's exactly the experience we set out to build."
"We're excited for the tip-off event to introduce the 2026-27 Lady Techsters to our fans," said Lady Techsters Head Coach Brooke Stoehr. "We have a great mix of veteran returners and exciting newcomers who have worked extremely hard in preparation for the season. We're looking forward to our first year in the Sun Belt and competing for a championship in March. We can't wait to get started and need everyone at the TAC to help make it the best home-court advantage in the Sun Belt."
"This is a chance for our fans to see the work before the season even starts," Bulldogs Head Coach Talvin Hester said. "The details, the habits, the standard we're building this program on, that's what you will see during this event. Tip-Off gives them a front-row seat to that, and our guys feed off that energy. We're excited to bring the community inside the gym and show them what we're building heading into our first year in the Sun Belt."
Three Ways to Be Part of Tip-Off
Whether fans want to experience the evening courtside or simply be in the building as a new season begins, Basketball Tip-Off offers multiple ways to be part of the night.
Reserved Table – $250 | Includes reserved seating for eight, court access, heavy appetizers, table-sign recognition, and an autographed basketball for the table buyer.
Reserved Individual – $25 Presale / $30 Walk-Up | Includes reserved court access and heavy appetizers, putting fans closer to the action throughout the evening.
Arena Seating – FREE | All fans are invited to watch both shootarounds and the evening's program from the Thomas Assembly Center seating at no charge. Free arena seating does not include court
access or food.
From a courtside seat to a seat in the stands, Basketball Tip-Off is designed to give every Louisiana Tech fan a chance to experience the start of basketball season.
2026 Basketball Tip-Off | Saturday, September 26 | Thomas Assembly Center
- 5:30 p.m. – Doors Open / Heavy Appetizers / Cash Bar / Silent Auction
- 6:00 p.m. – Welcome and Opening Remarks
- 6:05 p.m. – Lady Techsters Shootaround
- 6:45 p.m. – Bulldog Basketball Shootaround
- 7:30 p.m. – Basketball Tip-Off Coach Q&A
- 7:50 p.m. – Audience Q&A
- 8:00 p.m. – Silent Auction Closes
- 8:15 p.m. – Closing Remarks
- 8:30 p.m. – Program Concludes / Silent Auction Winners Announced
Both programs officially tip off the season on Monday, Nov. 2, as part of the MAC-SBC Challenge. Bulldog Basketball opens at home against Kent State inside the Thomas Assembly Center, while the Lady Techsters travel to Toledo. The Lady Techsters make their home debut Thursday, Nov. 5 against Texas A&M-Texarkana at 11:30 a.m.
The 2026–27 schedule also brings a new slate of Sun Belt opponents and regional rivals to the Thomas Assembly Center during Louisiana Tech's inaugural season in the league.
Reserved tables and individual tickets for the 2026 Basketball Tip-Off are available now at LATechSports.com/tipoff.
Don't just hear about the season. See how it's built.
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