GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University men's lacrosse team will play a 15-match schedule for the 2026 season, head coach Mike Brisbin has unveiled.
The Pioneers have six home matches and nine road contests on the slate, which begins February 2 at Wheeling and concludes at Emory & Henry on Wednesday, April 22. Tusculum has nine conference games on this year's schedule, which includes five teams that were nationally-ranked during the 2025 season.
Tusculum returns 96.1 percent of its scoring offense from 2025 (199 of 207 goals), led by juniors Luke Bowen (30 goals, 45 assists) and Ben Royer (31 goals, 36 assists). Tusculum had a respectable 5-5 record against unranked opponents last season, with four of those squads on the schedule against for 2026.
The Pioneers open the season on Monday, February 2 at Wheeling for their first-ever meeting with the Cardinals. Wheeling finished 8-7 overall and 6-3 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference last season, losing to Seton Hill in the league semifinals.
Tusculum hosts Emmanuel in its home opener on Saturday, Feb. 7 in the lone home game of the month. The Lions were 8-7 overall last year and 3-4 in Conference Carolinas, and beat the Pioneers 18-14 for their first win against Tusculum after four losses.
The Pioneers travel to Chowan on Tuesday, Feb. 17 to take on a Hawks squad that was 1-11 overall and 0-7 in Conference Carolinas last season. Tusculum is 4-0 all-time against Chowan, with a 19-10 home victory last season.
Tusculum heads to Thomas More for a matchup with the Saints on Saturday, Feb. 21. Thomas More was 2-12 overall and 1-8 in the GMAC last season. In the first-ever meeting between the programs, the Pioneers earned a 26-13 win late last season.
February closes with a trip to Virginia State on Saturday, Feb. 28. The Trojans improved to 3-11 in 2025 in their second season as a program, which included a 17-13 Tusculum victory last February in their first-ever meeting.
The Pioneers open conference play on Wednesday, March 4 at Lincoln Memorial. The Railsplitters were 4-10 overall and 1-8 in the league last season, beating the Pioneers 12-9 to go up 5-4 in the all-time series with three consecutive victories.
Tusculum is back home for the first time in a month to take on Wingate on Saturday, March 7. The Bulldogs were fifth in the SAC with a 6-4 record and ended the year 15-5 overall after winning the SAC Championship and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Wingate moved to 11-0 all-time against Tusculum with a 28-11 victory last season.
The Pioneers welcome Mars Hill on Wednesday, March 18. The Lions finished 8-8 overall and tied for sixth in the SAC with a 4-6 record last season. Mars Hill's 20-10 win over Tusculum last season was their third straight over the Pioneers and cut Tusculum's edge in the all-time series to 6-5.
Tusculum visits Anderson on Tuesday, March 24. The Trojans soared to second place in the SAC standings with a 9-1 record and advanced to the SAC Championship, where they lost to Wingate 17-11. Anderson fell 16-10 to Maryville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to end the year with a 13-5 overall record. The Trojans beat the Pioneers 28-9 to take a 4-1 lead in the all-time series.
The Pioneers host Coker on Saturday, March 28. The Cobras were tied for sixth in the SAC at 4-6 and finished with a 7-9 overall record during the 2025 season. Coker beat Tusculum 14-9 last season and now leads the all-time series by a 7-6 margin.
April begins with a home match against Lenoir-Rhyne on Wednesday, April 1. The Bears were third in the SAC with an 8-2 record and finished 14-4 overall after dropping a one-goal decision to Wingate in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Lenoir-Rhyne is 13-0 all-time against Tusculum, including a 25-9 victory at home last season.
Tusculum travels to Catawba on Saturday, April 4 to face the Indians, who were 9-7 overall and tied for sixth in the SAC at 4-6 in conference play. Catawba pulled out a 14-12 win over Tusculum last season and leads the all-time series 6-4 with four consecutive wins.
The Pioneers wrap up the home schedule with a non-conference contest against Alabama Huntsville on Wednesday, April 8. The Chargers were 2-14 last season and 0-3 in the Peach Belt Conference last season. The teams have played six times between 2018 and 2024, with each winning three times.
Tusculum finishes up on the road starting Saturday, April 18 at Newberry. The Wolves were fourth in the SAC with a 7-3 record and ended the year with a 10-7 overall mark. Newberry defeated Tusculum 20-6 last season and leads the all-times series by a 6-2 margin, with all six wins coming consecutively since 2019.
The Pioneers close the regular season at Emory & Henry on Wednesday, April 22. The Wasps were 0-14 in their inaugural season of 2025, with an 0-9 conference record, and lost 20-8 to the Pioneers in the season finale for both teams last year.
The SAC Championship tournament begins at conference sites with quarterfinals on Saturday, April 25 and semifinals on Wednesday, April 29. The championship game will be played at Matthews, North Carolina on Saturday, May 2.
