UNLV basketball unveils downsized nonconference schedule for 2024-25

The UNLV basketball team unveiled its new-look nonconference schedule on Monday, downsizing the slate just a bit to make room for additional Mountain West contests.

UNLV will face 11 non-conference opponents in 2024-25, down from the dozen Kevin Kruger scheduled in 2023-24. That was done to accommodate the MWC’s move from an 18-game schedule to a balanced 20-game schedule.

The Scarlet and Gray can make themselves comfortable for the first month, as they’ll play their first five games at the Thomas & Mack Center. It begins with an opening-night date against Alabama State (Nov. 4) and continues with games against Memphis (Nov. 9), Omaha (Nov. 14), Pepperdine (Nov. 20) and New Mexico State (Nov. 23).

UNLV’s first road foray won’t come until Nov. 28, when Kruger will take his squad to Phoenix for the Arizona Tip-Off, a multi-team event that will pit the Scarlet and Gray against Mississippi State on Thanksgiving. The following day, UNLV will get the winner of Butler vs. Northwestern from the other side of the bracket.

The players will then get a week off before traveling to face Creighton on Dec. 7. They’ll then close nonconference play with home games against Pacific (Dec. 14) and UC Riverside (Dec. 21) sandwiched around a road game at Dayton (Dec. 17).

The Dayton trip is a make-up from last year; UNLV was set to play the Flyers on Dec. 7, 2023, until a fatal shooting back home on the UNLV campus forced the game to be canceled.

Kruger is attempting to steer UNLV to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2012-13 season, and the schedule should afford some opportunities to forge a tourney-worthy résumé. Three opponents made the dance last year (Creighton, Dayton, Mississippi State), and there could be a fourth if Northwestern and UNLV square off on the second day of the Arizona Tip-Off.

Creighton advanced to the Sweet 16 of last year’s NCAA Tournament and finished the season at No. 11 in the KenPom ratings. Dayton won a game to advance to the Round of 32 and ended up No. 32 in KenPom. Mississippi State was knocked out in the first round and wrapped the season at No. 32 in KenPom.

The full schedule:

UNLV basketball schedule 2024-25

Nov. 4 — vs. Alabama State

Nov. 9 — vs. Memphis

Nov. 14 — vs. Omaha

Nov. 20 — vs. Pepperdine

Nov. 23 — vs. New Mexico State

Nov. 28 — vs. Mississippi State (at Phoenix)

Nov. 29 — vs. Butler/Northwestern (at Phoenix)

Dec. 7 — at Creighton

Dec. 14 — vs. Pacific

Dec. 17 — at Dayton

Dec. 21 — vs. UC Riverside

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.