Boise State men’s basketball to face old rival in exhibition game

The Boise State and Idaho men’s basketball teams will meet for the first time in more than a decade in October at Idaho Central Arena.

The Broncos and Vandals will play an exhibition game at the compact downtown Boise arena on Friday, Oct. 17. A tipoff time was not included in Tuesday’s announcement. 

The two programs last faced off in November 2014 with Boise State earning an 86-75 victory at the same venue. 

The Vandals are coached by Alex Pribble, who is entering his third season at the helm. Idaho went 11-21 overall in Pribble’s first season and improved to a 14-19 mark last year (8-10 Big Sky Conference). 

Idaho hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament since 1990. 

Boise State has announced most of its 2025-26 non-conference schedule with home games against Utah Valley (Nov. 8), Texas Rio Grande Valley (Nov. 11), Montana State (Nov. 15), Wichita State (Nov. 18) and Duquesne (Dec. 10) at ExtraMile Arena and a Dec. 6 road game at Butler.

The Broncos will compete in the Maui Invitational for the first time in program history in November. Boise State opens the three-day, eight-team tournament on Nov. 24 against USC. 

The 2025 Maui Invitational’s other first-round matchups are N.C. State vs. Seton Hall, Washington State vs. Chaminade and Texas vs. Arizona State. Boise State will face either N.C. State or Seton Hall in its second game at Lahaina Civic Center in Lahaina, Hawaii.

The Broncos have been a regular participant in early-season tournaments under head coach Leon Rice.

Boise State was the runner-up at last year’s Cayman Islands Classic. The Broncos went on to finish 26-11 overall and narrowly miss out on a fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. 

The Broncos also participated in the 2023 ESPN Events Invitational (Orlando, Florida), the 2022 Myrtle Beach Invitational (Conway, South Carolina) and the 2021 Shriners Children's Charleston Classic (Charleston, South Carolina).

With five returning rotation players and two impact transfers, the Broncos are expected to contend for the Mountain West crown during the 2025-26 season. 

Guards Julian Bowie, Pearson Carmichael and RJ Keene II and forwards Javan Buchanan and Andrew Meadow are all notable returnees for Boise State. The Broncos also added point guard Dylan Andrews (UCLA) and forward Drew Fielder (Georgetown) in the transfer portal.

Four freshmen are joining the Broncos this season: forward Spencer Ahrens (Bella Vista Prep, Arizona), guard Noah Bendinger (Corner Canyon High School, Utah), forward Bhan Buom (Link Academy, Missouri) and guard Aginaldo Neto (Bella Vista Prep).