Dennis Gates Mug

Dennis Gates

Courtesy of Mizzou Athletics

Missouri men’s basketball will get an opportunity to play under the bright Sin City lights as the Tigers are set to travel to Las Vegas for an exhibition matchup against UNLV on Oct. 29 at the Thomas & Mack Center, giving Dennis Gates’ squad a chance to face a quality opponent before games begin counting in the standings.

The exhibition comes as Missouri prepares for another season with heightened expectations after continuing its rise under Gates. While the result will not affect either team’s record, the contest offers the Tigers an opportunity to evaluate their roster in a true road environment.

UNLV finished 18-17 last season and reached the National Invitation Tournament before its season ended with a loss to Tulsa in the second round.

The Runnin’ Rebels are entering the second season of Josh Pastner’s tenure after the longtime college coach was hired in March 2025 to revive one of the sport’s historic programs.

Pastner arrived in Las Vegas with a 276-187 career record as a head coach at Memphis and Georgia Tech. During his 14 seasons leading those programs, he guided teams to five NCAA Tournament appearances, two NIT berths, four conference tournament championships and two regular-season conference titles.

His most notable accomplishment came at Georgia Tech in 2021, when he led the Yellow Jackets to the ACC Tournament championship and their first NCAA Tournament appearance in more than a decade. Pastner was also named ACC Coach of the Year in 2017 after engineering one of the nation’s biggest turnarounds.

UNLV’s roster features several experienced transfers, including former Missouri guard Sebastian Mack, who returns to face the program that he played for last season. The Rebels also added former Vanderbilt forward Tyler Harris, ex-Florida State guard Cam Miles and former UCF center Jeremy Foumena as Pastner continues reshaping the roster through the transfer portal.

For Missouri, the exhibition serves as another opportunity to prepare for what is expected to be a challenging nonconference slate. Playing on the road before the season begins gives Gates and his staff a chance to evaluate rotations and lineups in a game setting while exposing the Tigers to an atmosphere similar to those they will encounter throughout the season.

The matchup also marks Missouri’s return to Las Vegas, a city that has frequently hosted high-profile college basketball events and postseason tournaments.

Tipoff is scheduled for just under two weeks before the Tigers officially open the 2026-27 campaign.