MOSCOW, Idaho — On Friday, for the first time in 220 days, Idaho men's basketball will take the court in front of fans, on the same court where their previous season ended, as they face off against Boise State in an exhibition contest at Idaho Central Arena in downtown Boise. 

Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. MST/6 p.m. PST, with the game airing on KTVB Channel 7 in the Boise area and the KTVB+ app. The KTVB+ app is available for free on Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire TV, as well as on the KTVB website. It will also be available to listen to across select Idaho Vandal Radio Network affiliates, the Varsity Network app, and GoVandals.com.

Tickets are still available through the Idaho Central Arena box office, with students getting access to discounted tickets through this link and by using the code STUVAN.

In coordination with Boise State and game officials, the two teams have agreed to play an additional 10-minute period following the normal 40-minute game. Fans are encouraged to stay seated following the end of the regulation period to enjoy additional action between two teams renewing a storied rivalry for the first time in over a decade. 

"There is a terrific tradition between the two schools, and I'm grateful that we could find a way to get the rivalry game back on the schedule," Head Coach Alex Pribble said when discussing the matchup in August. "Coach Rice and his staff have done a terrific job down there. It's a top 50 basketball program in the country. It will be a great challenge for us and a great opportunity to grow, which is what exhibition games are all about."

The two largest four-year institutions in the Gem State have met a total of 89 times during the 54-year history of the rivalry, with Friday's exhibition being the first since 2014, when Boise State moved to the Mountain West Conference. 

Not only is the contest a new beginning for the rivalry, but it also marks the opening of a fresh season for both squads. The Vandals enter the 2025-26 season with high hopes and a similar squad to the 2024-25 campaign, which saw the Black and Gold win their first Big Sky Tournament game since 2017. 

UI returns 62.7% of their minutes from a year ago, the 15th most in the nation. Each of Idaho's top three scorers from last season, Kristian Gonzalez, Kolton Mitchell, and Jack Payne, remained with the Vandals. In his sophomore season, Gonzalez posted a team-leading 11.4 points per contest, a mark that places him fifth among returners in the Big Sky, and his effective field goal percentage of 53.9 was among the top third of all players in the country. Mitchell's 11.1 points per game were among the top 50 in the nation by a freshman last season. The Lake City High graduate did more than just score the basketball, however, as his season total of 114 assists was 14th best by a freshman in all of D1 basketball, and his assist rate was one of the best marks in the nation. Payne earned an all-conference honorable mention nod following a regular season where he averaged 10.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, while shooting at a 46% clip from the field. The Boise native turned it up at Starch Madness, averaging 19 points and 6.5 rebounds in Idaho's two postseason games, enough to claim a place on the All-Tournament team. 

This doesn't mean Idaho did not go and make a splash in the portal, as they added two big frontcourt pieces in Meridian's Brody Rowbury from Southeastern Louisiana and Seth Joba from Vermont. Rowbury is a veteran at the DI level, having started 82 games in three seasons for the Lions, where he averaged 8.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, and nearly 26 minutes a game. Joba joins the Vandals after two seasons at Vermont, where he represented the Catamounts in 42 contests. The Orchard Park, NY native shot 32.5% from beyond the arc and 36.4% from the floor, meaning he slots into this Idaho team as a dynamic weapon that can be used in a variety of ways.

Coach Pribble and his staff have placed a premium on in-state talent, with five Gem State natives taking places on this season's roster, the most to suit up for the Vandals since the 1971-72 season.  Along with Payne and Mitchell, Lapwai's Titus Yearout returns for his junior season. The former Lapwai Wildcat has appeared in 44 games for Idaho and is coming off a season where he shot nearly 43% from the field and 37% from three. The newest in-state Vandal is Jackson Rasmussen, the Meridian native who was the top recruit in the state last year. Rasmussen played his final prep season at Utah Prep, following three seasons at Owyhee High School in Meridian, where he won two state titles at the 5A level. Last month, Rasmussen was tabbed as Mid-Major Madness' Big Sky Freshman of the Year and was the top freshman commit from the class of 2025 to commit to a Big Sky school, according to 24/7 Sports. 

SCOUTING THE BRONCOS
Boise State returns 47.2% of its minutes from a 26-win campaign a year ago. The Broncos finished their season with a bid to the first-ever College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas, where they beat George Washington and Butler, before falling to Nebraska in the semifinals. BSU found success in the regular season, finishing fifth in the Mountain West regular season standings, before putting together a run at the conference tournament, falling to Colorado State in the title game. 

Head Coach Leon Rice has been a force in Boise for over a decade. Rice, a Washington State graduate, is the winningest coach in school history, leading the Broncos to five NCAA Tournament appearances and 12 20-win seasons since being hired prior to the 2010-11 season. 

LOOKING AHEAD
The Black and Gold will open their 25-26 campaign at Idaho Central Arena with an exhibition contest against Boise State on Friday, October 17, squaring off against the Broncos for the first time in 11 years. The Vandals kick off the regular season on November 3, with the 280th Battle of the Palouse at Washington State. Idaho's home slate begins with Whitman on Friday, November 7. 

TICKETS
Tickets are available for Idaho's Holiday Hoops Classic on November 26 and 28. Watch the Vandals and Idaho State take on CSUN and Sam Houston State in downtown Boise. Tickets can be purchased through the Idaho Central Arena box office today!

Season tickets are on sale now! For more information, call the Vandal ticket office at (208) 885-6466 or visit GoVandals.com/tickets. 

FOLLOW THE VANDALS
To stay up to date with Vandal Hoops, follow the team on Instagram (vandalhoops), X (VandalHoops), and by visiting govandals.com.