McNeese Announces October 8th Date for LSU Exhibition Game

Lake Charles, Louisiana - It will be a Will vs Bill show in Lake Charles in October. Will Wade is set to bring down his LSU basketball team to take on the McNeese Cowboys in a pre-season exhibition. On Monday, McNeese Athletics officially released the date of the exhibition.

Will Wade knows better than anyone that playing inside Townsley Law Arena is no easy task. Over the last three years, McNeese has turned it into one of the toughest places to play in the country, going 48-1 at home. That stretch includes the start of the Will Wade era, when he led the Cowboys to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and a 50-9 overall record. Bill Armstrong has continued that success, guiding McNeese to a 28-6 season in 2025 while going a perfect 15-0 at home.

This will only be the second time LSU has ever played in Lake Charles. The last meeting came in 1986, when LSU defeated McNeese in a game that helped open Burton Coliseum.

Wade is entering his first season back at LSU after returning to the program in March. He is currently building a roster that includes transfers, international players, and new additions as the Tigers prepare for the season.

Bill Armstrong, meanwhile, followed up his first year at McNeese by assembling another strong roster on paper. Southland Freshman of the Year Larry Johnson returns, along with transfers Corey Chest, Dellquan Warren, Elijah “Choppa” Moore, Christian Nitu, and others. McNeese is also expected to open its season at the Field of 68 tournament against UAB on October 2.

McNeese/LSU Set To Play in Pre-Season Exhibition on October 8th

Back in April, former McNeese Athletics Director and current LSU Assistant AD Heath Schroyer announced that Wade had agreed to come to Lake Charles with his Tiger squad for an exhibition. All proceeds from the game will go to McNeese basketball.

Monday, McNeese officially announced that the Cowboys will host LSU inside the Townsley Law Arena in Lake Charles on Thursday, October 8th. This pre-season exhibition will be open to the public, and tickets and more details will be released at a later date.

This upcoming game will be a pre-season exhibition and will NOT count as a regular season game.