MOSCOW, Idaho - Vandal fans, Idaho basketball is back.

On Tuesday, the team announced the non-conference schedule for the 2025-26 season. They will play a total of thirteen games to prepare for the Big Sky Conference season, a slate that includes opponents from all levels of college basketball. 

Since the turn of the century, Boise State has been out of the Big Sky Conference, settling in the Big West, WAC, Mountain West and, next year, the PAC-12. Because of this, their history with Idaho in many sports has ranged from sparse to nonexistent. That changes this year, as the Vandals have locked down an exhibition matchup with the Broncos in Boise on Oct. 17. This marks the first time that the two men's teams have faced off since November 25, 2014.

Head coach Alex Pribble is thrilled to renew the series with Boise State, and has put a lot of effort into scheduling opponents that have history with his team and that fans will be excited to see play.

"Every alum I speak with mentions the Boise State rivalry," said the head coach. "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. 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 game will take place in Idaho Central Arena, home of the Big Sky Tournament, within the Grove Hotel. Presale tickets will be announced in the coming weeks, and Vandal fans are encouraged to get their seats early to paint Boise black and gold. Seating will split down the middle of the floor, with Idaho fans on one side and Boise State on the other.

"I hope the Vandal family shows up in big numbers," said Pribble on his hopes for the game. "What a fun environment for a college basketball game. I'm already fired up just thinking about it." 

For the third year in a row, Idaho's non-con schedule consists of crossing the border to play Washington State in the "Battle of the Palouse." The Vandals and Cougars have faced off more times than any other opponent in either school's history. November 3 will mark the 280th contest between the neighboring institutions since the rivalry began in 1906, and will feature a doubleheader with the Idaho and WSU women tipping off the same day in Beasley Coliseum. The following Friday will serve as the home opener, with the Whitman College Blues coming to the ICCU Arena on November 7. 

The end of the month will feature a return to Boise as Idaho will be hosting the annual Boise Multi-Team Event in Idaho Central Arena, home of the Big Sky Conference Tournament. Titled the "Holiday Hoops Classic," California State Northridge (CSUN), Idaho State and Sam Houston State will meet the Vandals in Boise, and the brave and bold will take on the Matadors on November 26 and the Bearkats on the 28th. 

More details will follow on the Holiday Hoops Classic in the coming weeks.

The first week of December will feature Idaho's slate for the Big Sky-Summit Challenge, hosting North Dakota on the 3rd and traveling to Brookings to face off with South Dakota State on the 6th. 

A noteworthy matchup in the back half of the non-con season features a trip to South Bend, Indiana to tip off with Notre Dame on December 10. The Fighting Irish finished 15-18 last season with a second-round loss to North Carolina in the ACC Championships. 

The full non-conference schedule can be found below. Tip-off times will be announced at a later date.

IDAHO BASKETBALL 2025-26 NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE 
(Home games marked in BOLD)

10/17 - @ Boise State (Exh.) - Boise, ID
11/3 - @ Washington State - Pullman, WA
11/7 - vs Whitman - ICCU Arena
11/12 - @ San Diego - San Diego, CA
11/15 - @ UC San Diego - San Diego, CA
11/22 - vs Eastern Oregon - ICCU Arena
11/26 - vs CSUN - Boise, ID (Idaho Central Arena)
11/28 - vs Sam Houston State - Boise, ID (Idaho Central Arena)
12/3 - vs North Dakota - ICCU Arena
12/6 - @ South Dakota State - Brookings, SD
12/10 - @ Notre Dame - South Bend, IN
12/14 - vs Evergreen State - ICCU Arena
12/21 - @ Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo, CA
12/23 - @ Cal State Bakersfield - Bakersfield, CA

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Idaho and Notre Dame will face off for just the second time ever on December 10. The first and only matchup between the two to date was an overtime win for the Irish, 50-48, in 1982. That season featured the Vandals winning the Big Sky Championship and advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament with an overtime win over the Iowa Hawkeyes.

• This will be the second year in a row that the Vandals' season opener featured the Battle of the Palouse with Washington State. The two teams have faced off nearly annually since the inception of the rivalry in 1906, and as many as four times in a season in the early stages. 

• The non-conference schedule features four repeat opponents from last season: Washington State, Evergreen State, San Diego, and UC San Diego. 

• For the first time in the history of the Big Sky-Summit League Challenge, the Vandals are lined up to play two games. Idaho has played just one contest in the first two renditions of the series and are 1-1 in those. 

• The 25-26 season will feature multiple unfamiliar faces. Two opponents, Whitman and Eastern Oregon, are first-time opponents for the Vandals, and San Diego, UCSD, CSUN, Sam Houston, North Dakota, South Dakota State, Notre Dame, Evergreen State, and CSU Bakersfield have 14 or less games each played with UI Men's Basketball. Against all of these opponents combined, Idaho holds a 32-29 record. 

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