BATON ROUGE, La. (Interstat) — The Baton Rouge Community College Bears and East Mississippi Community College Lions will open their 2025-26 men’s basketball seasons against each other on Friday, Oct. 31, at the Raider Classic.

Both teams enter the contest with 0-0 records. The matchup marks the first official game for both programs since March 11, 2024, when each concluded its previous season with a loss. Baton Rouge fell to Jones College 80-75, while East Mississippi was defeated by Holmes Community College 81-68.

The neutral-site game on Halloween night offers a fresh start for the two junior college programs. The Bears’ early schedule is demanding, as they will face Northwest Florida State College on the road the following day, Nov. 1. The Lions will also be in action Nov. 1, traveling to face Southern Union State.

Friday’s season opener will be the first look at new rosters for both squads as they begin their quests to improve upon their previous campaigns. The game time and specific location for the Raider Classic were not provided.