2023-10-03 17:00:57
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The New Mexico men’s basketball team announced its 2023-24 schedule Tuesday, featuring 14 games once morest teams that won at least 20 games last season and nine games once morest teams that finished last year in the top 50 of the NET. Overall, the Lobos will play 18 games at The Pit in 2023-24 with seven home regular-season non-conference games, nine home Mountain West games and two home exhibition games.
Seven of New Mexico’s non-conference games will be once morest teams that played in postseason events last year. Saint Mary’s, Texas Southern and UC Santa Barbara were NCAA Tournament teams, while Santa Clara, Toledo and UC Irvine played in the NIT and Rice participated in the CBI. Five non-conference opponents won at least 23 games last season, as the overall schedule includes 17 of 31 games once morest teams that won at least 19 games in 2022-23.
The season begins on Nov. 6 with a doubleheader at The Pit, as both the Lobo men and women host Texas Southern. The men’s game, tipping at 7:30 p.m., will see UNM host the defending SWAC Champion, marking the first time since 2015-16 that the Lobos open the season once morest a team coming off a NCAA Tournament appearance (also once morest Texas Southern).
The road schedule begins on Nov. 9 with a visit to Saint Mary’s, as the Lobos make a return trip to Moraga, Calif., where they downed the Gaels a season ago. That SMC team went on to post a 27-8 record and ended the season ranked No. 19 in the final AP poll.
The November schedule includes two more games at The Pit, once morest UT Arlington on Nov. 16 and Louisiana Tech on Nov 29, in addition to the Ball Dawgs Classic in Henderson, Nev., where UNM will play Toledo, Rice and Pepperdine during Thanksgiving week.
The Lobos open December by hosting New Mexico State on Dec. 2 in the first of two meetings of the Rio Grande Rivalry, before visiting Las Cruces on Dec. 15 in the return game. UNM hosts reigning Big West Champion UC Santa Barbara on Dec. 6 before traveling back to Henderson for the Jack Jones Classic, where the Lobos play Santa Clara, a 2023 NIT team. New Mexico hosts another NIT team, reigning Big West regular season champion UC Irvine, on Dec. 20 at The Pit before closing out the non-conference schedule once morest Eastern New Mexico Dec. 29.
In the preseason, the Lobos will host a pair of Division II teams for exhibition contests, CSU Pueblo on Oct. 26 and New Mexico Highlands on Nov. 1.
The Lobos’ 18-game Mountain West schedule features 17 games televised nationally on CBS, CBS Sports Network or FS1. All four Mountain West teams that are coming off NCAA Tournament appearances will visit The Pit, with NCAA runner-up San Diego State visiting on Jan. 13 in a game airing on CBS, while Utah State visits on Jan. 16, Nevada visits on Jan. 28 and Boise State visits on Jan. 31. Wyoming (Jan. 6), UNLV (Feb. 10), Colorado State (Feb. 21), Air Force (Feb. 24) and Fresno State (Mar. 6) round out the home schedule. Game times for most Mountain West games have been announced, but several will be determined at a later date.
Season tickets are on sale now for the 2023-24 Lobo men’s basketball season at GoLobos.com/tickets. Single game tickets go on sale on Oct. 16.
Fans’ first chance to see this season’s Lobo squad will be Oct. 14 with a open intrasquad scrimmage at The Pit. The scrimmage begins at noon and admission is free.
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