Nebraska to play Boise State in men’s basketball at Sanford Pentagon next season
Posted: May 7, 2026
Following an historic season, the Nebraska Cornhuskers are returning to the Sanford Pentagon this fall to face the Boise State Broncos in a non-conference matchup on Nov. 15.
Ticket information will be released later.
“Bringing together two programs that are coming off 20-win seasons is a great matchup for our fans and will serve as a key early season game for Nebraska and Boise State,” said Jesse Smith, vice president of Sanford Sports. “Thank you to Coach Hoiberg and Coach Rice for wanting this game on their schedule – their teams will be treated to a first-class experience and an electric atmosphere on Heritage Court.”
Nebraska began the 2025-26 season with 20 straight wins, reaching as high as No. 5 in the A.P. Top 25 poll. The Huskers won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time in program history on their way to an appearance in the Sweet 16. Nebraska finished the season with a 28-7 record including a 15-5 mark in the Big Ten Conference. The Huskers return First-Team All-Big Ten forward Pryce Sandfort along with 2026 Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year winner Braden Frager and key contributor Cale Jacobsen. Nebraska beat Oklahoma 105-99 on Nov. 15 at the Pentagon.
“We’re excited to return to Sioux Falls this year and appreciate the work Sanford Sports does to make this a first-class experience,” Nebraska Coach Fred Hoiberg said. “We faced Boise State in the College Basketball Crown semifinals two years ago and have a great deal of respect for Head Coach Leon Rice and his program. They’ve posted five straight 20-win seasons and should be one of the top programs in the new Pac-12 Conference. This matchup gives us a quality non-conference opponent early in the season, and I know the Sanford Pentagon will be full of Husker fans, creating a tremendous atmosphere.”
This matchup will be the first trip to the Sanford Pentagon for Boise State. The Broncos finished the 2025-26 season with a 20-12 record, including a 12-8 mark in the Mountain West Conference. Boise State will transition to the Pac-12 Conference on July 1. Head coach Leon Rice became the first coach in program history to lead the Broncos to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 2022-24.
RICE QUOTE
The last time Boise State and Nebraska played was in the semifinals of the College Basketball Crown postseason tournament in 2025, a 79-69 Huskers victory.
This is the fourth NCAA Division I basketball event announced for the 2026-27 season at the Sanford Pentagon. Iowa State will play Memphis in men’s basketball to open the season on Nov. 2. South Dakota will face Creighton in a women’s basketball matchup on Nov. 11. On Nov. 14, the Pentagon will host The Invitational, a women’s basketball doubleheader featuring Nebraska taking on Kansas and Minnesota facing Kansas State.
Since opening in 2013, the Sanford Pentagon has hosted more than 100 Division I college basketball games along with multiple NCAA DII and NAIA national championships. The Pentagon is also home of the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the G League affiliate of the Miami Heat.
