Nebraska-BYU Set for Noon Tip on Oct. 18
Nebraska Athletics announced Thursday afternoon that the Husker men’s basketball exhibition opener against BYU at Pinnacle Bank Arena on Saturday, Oct. 18 will tip off at Noon (central). The game will be carried online on B1G+ (subscription required) with audio on Huskers.com, the Huskers app and select Playfly Husker Sports Network affiliates.
Tickets for the highly anticipated matchup are included in 2025-26 season tickets, and a limited number of season ticket packages are still available through Tuesday, September 16, by visiting Huskers.com/Tickets. In addition, 300 level single game tickets for the BYU exhibition will go on sale next Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 10 a.m. by visiting Huskers.com/Tickets or by calling 800-8-BIGRED.
The Huskers begin their quest for a third straight postseason appearance, bringing back four players who have made at least 15 starts in NU careers. The Huskers are led by All-Big Ten forward Rienk Mast, who returns after missing all last season following knee surgery. Two years ago, Mast averaged 12.3 points and led NU in both rebounding (7.5 rpg) and assists (3.0 apg). NU also brings back returning starters Berke Büyüktuncel (6.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg) and Sam Hoiberg (3.9 ppg; 1.9 apg) and regains the services of Jamarques Lawrence, who started 23 games on NU’s 2023-24 NCAA Tournament and started 31 games at Rhode Island last season. The Huskers also return senior Connor Essegian, who averaged 10.7 ppg, including 38 percent from 3-point range, as the team’s sixth man last season and add eight newcomers (six transfers and two freshman) to the fold.
The Huskers will face a stiff test with a BYU team that went 26-10 and reached the NCAA Sweet 16 last season. The Cougars are tabbed in the top-10 by several preseason publications and return All-Big 12 performer Richie Saunders, who averaged 16.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and Keba Keita, who averaged 7.5 points per game and led BYU in rebounding (7.9 rpg) and blocked shots (1.2 bpg). BYU also adds arguably the nation’s top recruit in AJ Dybantsa, who was named the Most Valuable Player at his past summer’s FIBA U19 World Cup en route to leading USA Basketball to the title. In addition, BYU also added a quartet of transfers led by Baylor transfer Robert Wright III, who was considered one of the top 10 transfers in the country by ESPN.
This exhibition matchup is the first of a home-and-home exhibition series, as Nebraska will travel to Provo in the fall of 2026.