ALBUQUERQUE, N.M – The New Mexico men’s basketball team opens play in the 2026 NIT on Wednesday night at The Pit – Powered by Nusenda when it hosts Sam Houston. Game time is 7:00 p.m. and the game will be televised on ESPN+ and air on Lobo Radio Network.
Season ticket holders will have their tickets for the game added to their account. Those fans should log into their account and click renew to purchase their seats for the game by 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Single-game tickets for Wednesday’s game will be on sale at GoLobos.com/tickets, beginning at $25 plus fees.
The Lobos (23-10) reached the semifinals of the Mountain West Tournament after going 13-7 in the conference during the regular season. New Mexico is led by Mountain West Freshman of the Year Jake Hall and fellow All-Mountain West honoree Tomislav Buljan.
Sam Houston (22-11) was the regular season runner-up in Conference USA with a 13-7 record.
New Mexico is making its 21st all-time NIT appearance, its first since 2023. The Lobos were the NIT runner-up in 1964, reached the semifinals in 1990 and reached the quarterfinals six other times, most recently in 2001.
The New Mexico-Sam Houston winner will play the Utah Valley-George Washington winner in the second round, either March 21 or 22. Date, time and location of that game will be announced after the matchup is determined. If the Lobos advance and host the second-round game at The Pit, ticket information for that game will be announced at that time.
New Mexico Hosts Sam Houston Wednesday in NIT Opener
