Boise State, Idaho men’s basketball to play. Here’s when and where

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — The dwindling embers of the Boise State-University of Idaho rivalry will receive a spark later this year.

The Boise State and Idaho men’s basketball teams will meet for an exhibition game on Oct. 17 at Idaho Central Arena in downtown Boise, according to press releases from both schools. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Because the game is an exhibition — essentially a preseason game — the result won’t count on either team’s record, but it will reunite the two state universities in an athletic competition.

“When discussing potential opportunities to get our fans excited for the start of the season, this was a no-brainer,” Boise State coach Leon Rice said in the BSU release. “The state of Idaho is filled with knowledgeable and passionate basketball fans, and what better way to serve them than with the return of in-state basketball between the Broncos and Vandals.”

The last time they met was in November 2014, when the Broncos defeated the Vandals 86-75 in downtown Boise in the same arena in a regular season game.

The football rivalry that used to be big has been idle for over a decade, with the two schools not having met since November 2010.

Boise State Athletic Director Jeramiah Dickey has expressed his wish on multiple occasions to bring rivalry games back to the state.

“It’s always, ‘What’s next,’ and we look forward to continuing to work with Idaho and other schools in this state on opportunities in all sports to create even more notable games to watch and attend,” Dickey said. “We all have a seat at the table to make the state of Idaho even better through in-state matchups.”

Presale tickets will be announced in the coming weeks, according to the press release, with seating between the two fan bases split down the center of the court.