BOULDER - For the first time since 2003-04, the University of Colorado men's basketball team will begin the season on the road with back-to-back games, starting off a non-conference slate where the Buffaloes will host eight home games and hit the road four times during the November and December months.



Overall, the 2015-16 schedule will see eight NCAA Tournament opponents from a year ago (Iowa State, BYU, Hampton, SMU, Arizona, Oregon, UCLA, Utah); three NIT opponents (Colorado State, Arizona State, Stanford); and a pair of CIT opponents (Portland, Kent State).



There's also 11 opponents that won over 20 or more games a year ago (Arizona, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, Utah, Colorado State, BYU, SMU, Kent State, Iowa State, Fort Lewis College).



CU will open its season on a neutral court for the second time in three years (two years ago vs. Baylor in Dallas) taking on Iowa State, Friday, Nov. 13 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., then five days later, travels to Auburn for the first time in program history, taking on the Tigers (Tue., Nov. 17).



The home opener at the Coors Events Center begins with a five-game home stand starting with Portland (Friday, Nov. 20) and Nebraska Omaha (Sun., Nov. 22) in CU's first-ever meetings with the Pilots and Mavericks, respectively.



Five straight home games conclude with contests against Front Range schools with Air Force (Wed., Nov. 25), Northern Colorado (Sun., Nov. 29) and Fort Lewis College (Wed., Dec. 2) making their way to the Coors Events Center.



The Buffs then travel up Interstate 25 for their second true-road game of the season, taking on in-state rival Colorado State (Sun., Dec. 6) in Fort Collins.



CU returns home for a trio of home games beginning with BYU (Sat., Dec. 12) in the first meeting between the two schools since 1955.



This year's mid-season tournament features the Buffaloes playing in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas. Each team will play four games in the Classic – the first two at on-campus sites and the final two rounds on Tuesday, December 22 and Wednesday, Dec. 23. The 2015 field includes Colorado, SMU, Penn State, Kent State, Canisius, Hampton, Louisiana Monroe, and Nicholls State.



CU will play for the first-time ever, Nicholls State (Fri., Dec. 18) and Hampton University (Sat., Dec. 19). Both games will be played at the Coors Events Center with the pair of Las Vegas games at the Orleans Arena to be determined.



It will be the Buffaloes third trip to Las Vegas during non-conference play under sixth-year head coach Tad Boyle . In 2010-11, CU participated in the iBN Sports Classic at the Orleans Arena (falling to New Mexico; defeated Indiana); and during the 2013-14 season, the No. 20/24 Buffs fell to No. 7 Oklahoma State at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, 78-73.



CU will play either Kent State, SMU or Penn State.



Past champions of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic include Kansas State (2008), Alabama (2009), New Mexico (2010), Baylor (2011), Colorado State (2012), UNLV (2013) and Loyola, IL (2014). FOX Sports 1 televises the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic third-place and championship games on Wednesday, Dec. 23, at 7:00 and 9:30 p.m. (MT).



Las Vegas is also the host city of the Pac-12 Conference Tournament since 2012-13, played at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.



After the Christmas holiday, CU will begin Pac-12 Conference play on the road for the first time since the 2012-13 season, traveling to the Bay Area taking on California and Stanford (Dec. 30-Jan. 3, Wed.-Sun.). Here's the rest of the Pac-12 slate, all games times are TBA.

2015-16 TENTATIVE COLORADO MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE

DATE OPPONENT TIME Friday Nov. 13 %vs Iowa State 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday Nov. 17 #at Auburn Friday Nov. 20 PORTLAND

Sunday Nov. 22 NEBRASKA OMAHA

Wednesday Nov. 25 AIR FORCE

Sunday Nov. 29 NORTHERN COLORADO Wednesday Dec. 2 FORT LEWIS COLLEGE

Sunday Dec. 6 at Colorado State

Saturday Dec. 12 BYU

Friday Dec. 18 ^NICHOLLS STATE

Saturday Dec. 19 ^HAMPTON UNIVERSITY Tuesday Dec. 22 ^vs. TBA (Kent State, Penn State, SMU)

Wednesday Dec. 23 ^vs. TBA (Kent State, Penn State, SMU)

Pac-12 Conference Schedule

Wed.-Sun. Dec. 30-Jan. 3 at California, at Stanford

Thu-Sat. Jan. 7-9 UTAH

Thu-Sat. Jan. 14-16 OREGON, OREGON STATE

Thu-Sat. Jan. 21-23 at Washington, at Washington State

Thu-Sat. Jan. 28-30 CALIFORNIA, STANFORD

Thu-Sat. Feb. 4-6 at Oregon, at Oregon State

Thu-Sun. Feb. 11-14 WASHINGTON, WASHINGTON STATE

Thu-Sat. Feb. 18-20 at UCLA, at USC

Thu-Sat. Feb. 25-27 ARIZONA, ARIZONA STATE

Wed.-Sat. Mar. 2-5 at Utah



Wed.-Sat. Mar. 9-12 Pac-12 Tournament

[MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nev.)]



Tue., Wed. Mar. 15, 16 NCAA First Round (Dayton, Ohio)

Thur.-Sun. Mar. 17-20 NCAA Second, Third Rounds

Thur.-Sun. Mar. 24-27 NCAA Regionals

Sat., Mon. Apr. 2, 4 NCAA Final Four (Houston, Texas)





%-Sanford Pentagon (Sioux Falls, S.D.)

^-2015 Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic (Orleans Arena): Dec. 18 & 19 games played in Boulder



All Times are MOUNTAIN and are Subject to Change



As of 7/22/15