MBB | Gaels to Start Three-Year Series with New Mexico in December at The Pit, Host Lobos in 2027-28 Season
6/3/2026 10:05:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MORAGA, Calif. — The Saint Mary's men's basketball program will play at New Mexico at The Pit in Albuquerque in December to begin a three-year series, the two programs announced on Wednesday morning.
Saint Mary's, who has had the 15th-highest average KenPom finish in the nation over the past 10 years, will face New Mexico in each of the next three seasons. The series between two regular NCAA Tournament participants opens on Dec. 12, 2026 at The Pit in Albuquerque, which will mark the Gaels' first road trip to UNM since 2001.
The series will continue with Saint Mary's hosting New Mexico at University Credit Union Pavilion during the 2027-28 season, followed by a meeting back at The Pit in Albuquerque in the 2028-29 campaign.
Saint Mary's and New Mexico have faced off five times previously, dating back to their first all-time meeting in 1968. The Gaels and Lobos split a pair of games in Moraga in 2022 and 2023, which was highlighted by No. 23-ranked Saint Mary's' 72-58 victory over New Mexico in 2023. The Lobos won the 2024 Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship later that season to make the NCAA Tournament.
The Gaels and Lobos have combined to make the Big Dance 32 times, with Saint Mary's earning a single-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons.
A New, Exciting Era for Saint Mary's Men's Basketball
A new era of Saint Mary's Men's Basketball officially tips off this fall with former standout Gael Mickey McConnell now serving as the Gaels' head coach after having been an instrumental piece of the program for decades, first as a student-athlete and then as associate head coach.
In addition to the road game at New Mexico in December, Saint Mary's will host the Saint Louis Billikens on Nov. 20 and compete in the 2026 Rady's Children Hospital Invitational in San Diego on Nov. 26-27, which will feature a stacked four-team field that also includes Georgetown, Texas and UCLA. Additional nonconference games will be released when finalized.
The Gaels will also play a designated 16-game West Coast Conference slate with home and road games against LMU, Pacific, Pepperdine, Portland, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Seattle U, along with one home-only opponent (San Diego) and one away-only opponent (Denver), as the conference officially announced on Tuesday.
Upper reserved and general admission season tickets for the 2026-27 men's basketball season can be requested here.
#GaelsRise
Saint Mary's, who has had the 15th-highest average KenPom finish in the nation over the past 10 years, will face New Mexico in each of the next three seasons. The series between two regular NCAA Tournament participants opens on Dec. 12, 2026 at The Pit in Albuquerque, which will mark the Gaels' first road trip to UNM since 2001.
The series will continue with Saint Mary's hosting New Mexico at University Credit Union Pavilion during the 2027-28 season, followed by a meeting back at The Pit in Albuquerque in the 2028-29 campaign.
Saint Mary's and New Mexico have faced off five times previously, dating back to their first all-time meeting in 1968. The Gaels and Lobos split a pair of games in Moraga in 2022 and 2023, which was highlighted by No. 23-ranked Saint Mary's' 72-58 victory over New Mexico in 2023. The Lobos won the 2024 Mountain West Men's Basketball Championship later that season to make the NCAA Tournament.
The Gaels and Lobos have combined to make the Big Dance 32 times, with Saint Mary's earning a single-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament in each of the last five seasons.
A New, Exciting Era for Saint Mary's Men's Basketball
A new era of Saint Mary's Men's Basketball officially tips off this fall with former standout Gael Mickey McConnell now serving as the Gaels' head coach after having been an instrumental piece of the program for decades, first as a student-athlete and then as associate head coach.
In addition to the road game at New Mexico in December, Saint Mary's will host the Saint Louis Billikens on Nov. 20 and compete in the 2026 Rady's Children Hospital Invitational in San Diego on Nov. 26-27, which will feature a stacked four-team field that also includes Georgetown, Texas and UCLA. Additional nonconference games will be released when finalized.
The Gaels will also play a designated 16-game West Coast Conference slate with home and road games against LMU, Pacific, Pepperdine, Portland, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Seattle U, along with one home-only opponent (San Diego) and one away-only opponent (Denver), as the conference officially announced on Tuesday.
Upper reserved and general admission season tickets for the 2026-27 men's basketball season can be requested here.
#GaelsRise
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