ALBUQUERQUE, N.M – The New Mexico men’s basketball team opens the 2025-26 preseason on Saturday night with an exhibition matchup with Washington State. Game time at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman is 7:00 p.m. MT (6:00 p.m. PT) and the game will have audio coverage on GoLobos.com and on KKOB radio in Albuquerque.
The game will mark the first ever road exhibition game for the Lobos, who are 67-6 all-time in the preseason, all coming at The Pit. Since NCAA rules began allowing for exhibitions against Division I opponents, the Lobos are 1-1 in those games, dropping a charity exhibition to BYU in 2017-18 before downing UTEP at home last season.
The Lobos, who are one of three teams in the nation to not return a single player, coach, or basketball staff member from last year, were picked fifth in the preseason Mountain West poll. Deyton Albury was named to the preseason All-Mountain West Team.
Washington State was picked to finish sixth in the preseason West Coast Conference poll. The Cougars are coming off a 19-15 season in 2024-25 and an appearance in the inaugural College Basketball Crown.
New Mexico has won three of the five previous meetings between the schools, all in the regular season, but Saturday’s game is the first matchup in Pullman. The team’s last played in the 2015 Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii, a Cougar victory on Christmas Day.
The Lobos conclude the preseason on Thursday as they host Northern Arizona in The Pit for an exhibition. Game time is 7 p.m. and tickets are on sale now at GoLobos.com/tickets.
Lobos Open Preseason Schedule Saturday at Washington State
