Southern Miss to Play in 2025 Cancun Challenge, Tournament Field and Schedule Revealed
8/29/2025 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Triple Crown Sports today announced the full field and slate for the 2025 Cancun Challenge, hosted at the all-inclusive Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico. The event features 10 women's basketball programs playing in two tournaments with Southern Miss competing in the two-day Riviera Tournament.
The 2025 Cancun Challenge is the 21st edition of the women's basketball tournament while the men's tournament enters its 19th season. The women's basketball tournaments begin on Thursday, Nov. 27, on site at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya with five total games and runs through Saturday, Nov. 29, though the Riviera Tournament wraps up on Friday.
Southern Miss will face two opponents in its portion of the tournament beginning with UAB on Nov. 27 at 5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET) and concluding with a matchup against North Carolina State on Nov. 28 at 3 p.m. CT (4 p.m. ET).
This is Southern Miss' second trip to Mexico and first appearance in the Cancun Challenge. The Lady Eagles previously played in the 2007 Caribbean Classic in Cancun at the Moon Palace Resort. Southern Miss lost to Miami (Fla.) 63-56 to open the tournament and defeated UIC 79-55 to end the excursion.
The 2025 Cancun Challenge is Southern Miss' third international trip, joining the 2007 Caribbean Classic and last season's three-game swing at the Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas. Southern Miss is 1-4 all-time in international games.
Southern is no stranger to UAB, having played the Blazers 71 times overall with a 42-29 series lead. The series is the most played in both teams histories and the meeting in Puerto Aventuras is the first of two between Southern Miss and UAB this year. The two teams will meet again on Sunday, Dec. 7, in Hattiesburg to finish off the regular season rotation.
The Nov. 27 meeting of the rivalry will be just the third time the two meet on a neutral floor, last playing a neutral site game on March 5, 2000, as part of the Conference USA Tournament in Louisville, Ky.
North Carolina State leads the series against Southern Miss 1-0 with the only prior meeting coming in Raleigh, N.C., at the Wolf Pack's Tournament in 1999. Ninth-ranked North Carolina State defeated Southern Miss 78-43 on Nov. 20, 1999, in the series only meeting.
A full schedule of events is below. Fans interested in making the trip Fan packages are available; check out your options for a relaxing, safe and secure warm-weather escape over Thanksgiving: Fan Packages - Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya - Cancun Challenge
2025 Women's Cancun Challenge Schedule
Riviera Tournament
Thursday, November 27, 2025
Green Bay vs. North Carolina State 4 p.m.
UAB vs. Southern Miss 6:30 p.m.
TCU vs. Richmond 9 p.m.
Friday, November 28, 2025
Southern Miss vs. North Carolina State 4 p.m.
TCU vs. UAB 6:30 p.m.
Richmond vs. Green Bay 9 p.m.
Mayan Tournament
Thursday, November 27, 2025
South Dakota State vs. North Carolina 11 a.m.
Kansas State vs. Columbia 1:30 p.m.
Friday, November 28, 2025
North Carolina vs. Kansas State 11 a.m.
Columbia vs. South Dakota State 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 29, 2025
Kansas State vs. South Dakota State 11 a.m.
Columbia vs. North Carolina 1:30 p.m.
Home team in bold; All times Eastern
About Triple Crown Sports
Based in Fort Collins, CO., Triple Crown Sports has been producing youth, high school and college events for more than 40 years. TCS runs both the Postseason WNIT basketball event and produces the men's and women's DI Cancun Challenge tournaments in November. Triple Crown is also powering a "WNIT" concept event in D-I volleyball (NIVC), with that event debuting in 2017. Triple Crown's PV College Challenge features more than 10 of the top DI college softball teams in the country each year in Puerto Vallarta, MX. Anchored by the 1,200-team Colorado 4th of July event, TC fastpitch softball tournaments draw the nation's finest club programs, and hundreds of college coaches attend TCS events for recruiting purposes. TCS produces one of the largest youth baseball events in the world with the 700-team Omaha SlumpBuster during the College World Series. The Triple Crown Volleyball NIT has become the top-recruited club volleyball event in the country each February when 550 teams compete in Kansas City, MO.
Support Southern Miss Women's Basketball
Support Southern Miss women's basketball with a gift today! Your contribution will make an immediate impact on the program as head coach Missy Bilderback prepares for her first season leading the Lady Eagles! Visit smttt.info/SupportWBB to donate!
Follow The Lady Eagles
Follow the Lady Eagles on Twitter (@SouthernMissWBB), Instagram (@southernmisswbb) or on Facebook (/SouthernMissWBB) to stay up-to-date on Southern Miss women's basketball. Fans can visit Southern Miss.com or download the Southern Miss GameDay app to see full schedules, releases and more.
The 2025 Cancun Challenge is the 21st edition of the women's basketball tournament while the men's tournament enters its 19th season. The women's basketball tournaments begin on Thursday, Nov. 27, on site at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya with five total games and runs through Saturday, Nov. 29, though the Riviera Tournament wraps up on Friday.
Southern Miss will face two opponents in its portion of the tournament beginning with UAB on Nov. 27 at 5:30 p.m. CT (6:30 p.m. ET) and concluding with a matchup against North Carolina State on Nov. 28 at 3 p.m. CT (4 p.m. ET).
This is Southern Miss' second trip to Mexico and first appearance in the Cancun Challenge. The Lady Eagles previously played in the 2007 Caribbean Classic in Cancun at the Moon Palace Resort. Southern Miss lost to Miami (Fla.) 63-56 to open the tournament and defeated UIC 79-55 to end the excursion.
The 2025 Cancun Challenge is Southern Miss' third international trip, joining the 2007 Caribbean Classic and last season's three-game swing at the Atlantis Resort in The Bahamas. Southern Miss is 1-4 all-time in international games.
Southern is no stranger to UAB, having played the Blazers 71 times overall with a 42-29 series lead. The series is the most played in both teams histories and the meeting in Puerto Aventuras is the first of two between Southern Miss and UAB this year. The two teams will meet again on Sunday, Dec. 7, in Hattiesburg to finish off the regular season rotation.
The Nov. 27 meeting of the rivalry will be just the third time the two meet on a neutral floor, last playing a neutral site game on March 5, 2000, as part of the Conference USA Tournament in Louisville, Ky.
North Carolina State leads the series against Southern Miss 1-0 with the only prior meeting coming in Raleigh, N.C., at the Wolf Pack's Tournament in 1999. Ninth-ranked North Carolina State defeated Southern Miss 78-43 on Nov. 20, 1999, in the series only meeting.
A full schedule of events is below. Fans interested in making the trip Fan packages are available; check out your options for a relaxing, safe and secure warm-weather escape over Thanksgiving: Fan Packages - Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya - Cancun Challenge
2025 Women's Cancun Challenge Schedule
Riviera Tournament
Thursday, November 27, 2025
Green Bay vs. North Carolina State 4 p.m.
UAB vs. Southern Miss 6:30 p.m.
TCU vs. Richmond 9 p.m.
Friday, November 28, 2025
Southern Miss vs. North Carolina State 4 p.m.
TCU vs. UAB 6:30 p.m.
Richmond vs. Green Bay 9 p.m.
Mayan Tournament
Thursday, November 27, 2025
South Dakota State vs. North Carolina 11 a.m.
Kansas State vs. Columbia 1:30 p.m.
Friday, November 28, 2025
North Carolina vs. Kansas State 11 a.m.
Columbia vs. South Dakota State 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 29, 2025
Kansas State vs. South Dakota State 11 a.m.
Columbia vs. North Carolina 1:30 p.m.
Home team in bold; All times Eastern
About Triple Crown Sports
Based in Fort Collins, CO., Triple Crown Sports has been producing youth, high school and college events for more than 40 years. TCS runs both the Postseason WNIT basketball event and produces the men's and women's DI Cancun Challenge tournaments in November. Triple Crown is also powering a "WNIT" concept event in D-I volleyball (NIVC), with that event debuting in 2017. Triple Crown's PV College Challenge features more than 10 of the top DI college softball teams in the country each year in Puerto Vallarta, MX. Anchored by the 1,200-team Colorado 4th of July event, TC fastpitch softball tournaments draw the nation's finest club programs, and hundreds of college coaches attend TCS events for recruiting purposes. TCS produces one of the largest youth baseball events in the world with the 700-team Omaha SlumpBuster during the College World Series. The Triple Crown Volleyball NIT has become the top-recruited club volleyball event in the country each February when 550 teams compete in Kansas City, MO.
Support Southern Miss Women's Basketball
Support Southern Miss women's basketball with a gift today! Your contribution will make an immediate impact on the program as head coach Missy Bilderback prepares for her first season leading the Lady Eagles! Visit smttt.info/SupportWBB to donate!
Follow The Lady Eagles
Follow the Lady Eagles on Twitter (@SouthernMissWBB), Instagram (@southernmisswbb) or on Facebook (/SouthernMissWBB) to stay up-to-date on Southern Miss women's basketball. Fans can visit Southern Miss.com or download the Southern Miss GameDay app to see full schedules, releases and more.
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