Nebraska to face New Mexico to open 2025 Hall of Fame Classic

It will be Nebraska and New Mexico to kick off the 2025 Hall of Fame Classic at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.

On Thursday, the National Association of Basketball Coaches announced Nebraska and New Mexico will play each other at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20, in the first game of the four-team event.

The matchup will only be the second all-time between the two programs. The first came in the 2009 NIT, and it was an 83-71 New Mexico win in Albuquerque.

The rest of the tournament field includes Kansas State and Mississippi State. Those two will play the same night at 8:30 p.m. Every game of the event will be broadcast on Peacock and NBC Sports NOW.

Nebraska finished the 2024-25 season with a 21-14 record and won the championship of the inaugural College Basketball Crown.

New Mexico went 27-8 and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament under then-head coach Richard Pitino, who has since taken the head coaching job at Xavier. The Lobos’ new head coach is Eric Olen, who comes to Albuquerque from UC San Diego, where he spent the past 21 years and the last 12 as head coach.

Jerome Tang’s Kansas State finished last season 16-17 overall while Chris Jans’ Mississippi State went 21-13 and lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

2025 Hall of Fame Classic schedule:

Thursday, Nov. 20:
Nebraska vs. New Mexico – 6 p.m.
Kansas State vs. Mississippi State – 8:30 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 21:
Consolation game at 6 p.m.
Championship Game – 8:30 p.m.

Nebraska 2025-26 non-conference schedule

Sat., Oct. 18: BYU (Exhibition)

Mon., Oct. 27: Midland (Exhibition)

Mon., Nov. 3: West Georgia

Sat., Nov. 8: Florida International

Tues., Nov. 11: Maryland-Eastern Shore

Sat., Nov. 15: vs. Oklahoma (at Sioux Falls)

Thurs., Nov. 20: vs. New Mexico (Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City)

Fri., Nov. 21: Nebraska will face either Kansas State or Mississippi State (Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City)

Tues, Nov. 25: Winthrop

Sat., Nov. 29: South Carolina Upstate

Sun, Dec. 7: Creighton

Sun, Dec. 21: North Dakota

Tues., Dec. 30: New Hampshire