Schedule release: UNLV basketball's game against Kansas stands tall

UNLV guardant Tyrin Jones (6) dunks against Utah State during the 2nd fractional of an NCAA assemblage hoops crippled successful the Mountain West Championships tourney Thursday, March 12, 2026. UNLV fell to Utah State 80-60. Photo by: Steve Marcus

UNLV basketball’s nonconference docket includes a matchup against 1 of the sport’s astir storied programs: the Rebels volition look Kansas connected Nov. 17 connected the Strip astatine Michelob ULTRA Arena, arsenic portion of the Players Era Eight.

It’s the headliner of a 15-game nonconference slate the programme announced this morning.

UNLV’s adjacent hostile successful the Players Era Eight volition beryllium either West Virginia oregon Auburn. The remainder of the tract includes Houston, Rutgers, Florida and Notre Dame — giving the Rebels plentifulness of opportunities for notable wins against top-conference opponents to bolster their NCAA Tournament resume.

Houston is simply a nationalist power, projected to beryllium a top-10 team. Florida is 2 years removed from winning a nationalist championship. Auburn won the postseason NIT past season.

Kansas, meanwhile, is simply a blueblood programme that had a down year, finishing 24-11 with a second-round exit from the NCAA Tournament.

“We person enactment unneurotic a precise challenging docket with a batch of prime teams, and that’s precisely what we privation for our program,” UNLV manager Josh Pastner said successful a statement. “Our non-conference slate volition trial america successful a fig of antithetic ways and hole america for the new-look Mountain West that we cognize volition beryllium highly competitive.”

The UNLV play begins Nov. 3 astatine the Thomas & Mack Center against Northern Arizona. The nonleague slate besides includes location games with Samford (Nov. 7), Stanford (Nov. 13), Eastern Washington (Nov. 23), University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (Nov. 28), Cal Poly (Dec. 22), Westminster University (Dec. 29) and North Dakota (Jan. 2).

They besides play Dec. 12 against Washington State successful the Jack Jones Classic astatine Lee’s Family Forum successful Henderson erstwhile the Thomas & Mack is being utilized by the National Finals Rodeo. On Dec. 19, the Rebels are successful Phoenix to look SMU.

The Rebels could play arsenic galore arsenic 8 teams that reached the postseason past season, including 4 NCAA Tournament participants, the assemblage said successful a quality release.

“Having 20 opportunities to play astatine home, including our accumulation games, is besides highly important for our program,” Pastner said. “We privation the Thomas & Mack Center to beryllium a spot wherever our fans make a tremendous home-court advantage, and we’re excited to play truthful galore games successful beforehand of them this season.”

Nonleague roadworthy contests are Dec. 2 against San Francisco and Dec. 5 against San Diego State, a erstwhile Mountain West hostile playing successful the newlook Pac-12 Conference.

UNLV opens Mountain westbound play Jan. 5 astatine Grand Canyon and past plays Jan. 9 astatine San Jose State.

The remainder of the docket tin beryllium recovered here.