PHOENIX – Gonzaga and Purdue will square off on opening night of the 2026-27 season in the Hall of Fame Series at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas Nov. 2. Position Sports, in partnership with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, announced the four-game event today, marking the fourth consecutive year the Hall of Fame Series has been held in Las Vegas following a near sellout in 2025.
 
The Opening Night showcase will feature two marquee men's matchups as Arizona renews its rivalry with UCLA and Gonzaga faces Purdue in an early-season clash between perennial national championship contenders. The women's slate includes USC taking on hometown UNLV, with Arizona and Stanford squaring off in the second matchup.
 
"Opening Night at T-Mobile Arena has established itself as a preferred destination for college basketball's elite programs, and this year's lineup exemplifies that tradition," said Melissa Meacham-Grossman, President of Position Sports. "With second-ranked Arizona headlining alongside programs like Gonzaga, Purdue, and UCLA, and JuJu Watkins' anticipated return for USC, we're delivering the caliber of matchups and storylines that college basketball fans expect when the Hall of Fame Series tips off the season in Las Vegas."
 
All four games will be nationally televised across TNT Sports' networks and platforms, with additional broadcast details, game times, and credential information to be announced at a later date. Tickets will go on sale in late April. Fans can visit HOFSeries.com for official hotel information, pre-sale details, and event updates.
 
"We're incredibly grateful to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for the opportunity to open our season in such a premier event," said Gonzaga Head Coach Mark Few. "The Hall of Fame represents the very best of our game, and it's special for our program to be part of something that celebrates college basketball at the highest level. We have tremendous respect for Purdue and for the outstanding program Matt Painter has built — his teams are always tough, disciplined and well-coached. Opening the season against an opponent of that caliber in Las Vegas will be a great challenge and an exciting way to start the year."
 
Purdue has won all five meetings between the programs, including the latest matchup, 80-68, in the 2024 Sweet 16 in Detroit. The Boilermakers were the top-seed in the Midwest Region and GU was seeded fifth. Earlier that season, Purdue rallied to beat the Zags in the quarterfinals of the Maui Invitational. In the Phil Knight Legacy tournament in Portland in 2022, the Boilermakers beat the Bulldogs, 84-66. Purdue won the first all-time meeting, 83-68, in West Lafayette on Nov. 18, 1998. In the second meeting, Purdue held off Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament West Regional semifinal in Albuquerque, N.M., 75-66, March 23, 2000.
 
"We are obviously excited to open the 2026-27 season in Las Vegas against an outstanding opponent in Gonzaga," said Purdue Head Coach Matt Painter. "We take pride in making our non-conference schedule one of the best in the country and playing an outstanding team led by a very successful coach Mark Few. They will provide a big challenge for our program. Our fans have traveled in large numbers for all of our neutral-site games and we expect a great atmosphere to start the season."
 
The Hall of Fame Series, owned and operated by Position Sports, is a collection of high-profile non-conference basketball events featuring top collegiate programs competing in premier venues across the United States and internationally. The series annually showcases marquee men's and women's matchups while celebrating the legacy and impact of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on the game.
 
Previous Hall of Fame Series events have been held in Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, San Antonio, and Toronto, featuring many of the nation's top-ranked programs and drawing national television audiences each season.