Report: New Mexico State to visit Gonzaga on Nov. 7 for possible home opener
Five days after returning from Las Vegas for a season opener against Purdue, Gonzaga will reportedly host New Mexico State on Nov. 7 in what will potentially serve as the team's home opener at McCarthey Athletic Center.
The New Mexico State matchup, which was reported Friday night by Bracketeer.com's Rocco Miller, also becomes the first known home game on Gonzaga's 2026-27 schedule.
Provided the Zags don't schedule another opponent between their Nov. 2 opener against the Boilermakers at T-Mobile Arena and the New Mexico State matchup, it will also double as the team's home opener. As of now, the team's next known game is a Nov. 14 matchup against LSU at Numerica Veterans Arena.
Gonzaga has a strong track record when it comes to home openers, picking up its 36th straight victory last year with a 98-43 victory over Texas Southern.
The Zags and Aggies have played just one other time, meeting on Dec. 7, 2013, at the Kennel. Three months before winning its third consecutive Western Athletic Conference championship, NMSU held Gonzaga to a one-point lead at halftime before the Zags outscored the Aggies by 11 in the second half to win 80-68.
Sam Dower led the Zags with 22 points while Kevin Pangos added 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists. WAC Player of the Year Daniel Mullings paced NMSU with 17 points while 7-foot-5 Aggies center Sim Bhullar had six points, five rebounds and four blocked shots.
Under third-year coach Jason Hooten, the Aggies finished 16-16 overall last season with an 8-12 mark in Conference USA play. NMSU lost its top five scorers from last year's team but returns junior forward Jae'Coby Osborne, who averaged 6.0 points and 4.9 rebounds while starting in 20 of 32 games.
The Aggies reloaded in the transfer portal, adding Louisiana Tech point guard D.J. Dudley (13.8 ppg), Sacramento State forward Mark Lavrenov (9.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg), Long Beach State forward Leopold Levillian (4.8 ppg), Little Rock point guard K.K. Robinson (15.8 ppg), Holy Cross shooting guard Gabe Warren (12.5 ppg) and San Jose State shooting guard Jermaine Washington (11.5 ppg).
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