UNLV basketball schedule reveals early showcase opportunities including Kansas

UNLV men’s basketball unveiled its nonconference schedule Tuesday, highlighting a high‑profile November showdown with Kansas as the centerpiece of a 15‑game slate. The Rebels will meet the Jayhawks at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 17 in Michelob Ultra Arena on the Strip, a game that forms part of the Players Era Eight. UNLV’s next opponent in that event will be either West Virginia or Auburn. The remaining field includes Houston, Rutgers, Florida and Notre Dame, providing ample chances for signature victories against top‑conference foes to bolster the team’s NCAA Tournament résumé. Houston is regarded as a national power and projected to finish among the top‑12 teams. Florida captured the 2025 national title, while Auburn won the NIT last season. Kansas, a traditional blueblood program, endured a down year, finishing 24‑11 with a second‑round exit from the NCAA Tournament. Coach Josh Pastner praised the slate in a statement: “We have put together a very challenging schedule with a lot of quality teams, and that's exactly what we want for our program. Our nonconference schedule will test us in a number of different ways and prepare us for the new-look Mountain West that we know will be highly competitive.” He also emphasized the value of home games: “Having 20 opportunities to play at home, including our exhibition games, is also highly important for our program. We want the Thomas & Mack Center to be a place where our fans make a tremendous home‑court advantage, and we're excited to play so many games in front of them this season.” The regular season opens Nov. 3 at the Thomas & Mack Center versus Northern Arizona. Additional home nonleague contests are set for Samford (Nov. 7), Stanford (Nov. 13), Eastern Washington (Nov. 23), UT Rio Grande Valley (Nov. 28), Cal Poly (Dec. 22), Westminster University (Dec. 29) and North Dakota (Jan. 2). On Dec. 12, UNLV faces Washington State in the Jack Jones Classic at Lee’s Family Forum in Henderson while the Thomas & Mack Center hosts the National Finals Rodeo. The Rebels travel to Phoenix on Dec. 19 to meet SMU. Road nonleague games are scheduled for Dec. 2 at San Francisco and Dec. 5 at San Diego State, a former Mountain West rival now competing in the reconfigured Pac‑12. Mountain West play begins Jan. 5 at Grand Canyon, followed by a Jan. 9 visit to San Jose State. UNLV noted it could face as many as eight teams that reached the postseason last season, including four NCAA Tournament participants. The full schedule is available on the UNLV athletics website.