It’ll be the Cougars and the Wildcats to open Kevin Young’s second season in Provo.

Oh, and also the Wildcats and the Gators.

Position Sports, in association with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, has announced the matchups for the 2025 Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena on Monday, November 3. While defending national champion Florida vs. Arizona would be considered the marquee matchup, BYU and Villanova is a pretty big game as well in an intriguing doubleheader.

The event marks the third consecutive season the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame will host an event in Las Vegas.

Both games will be nationally televised on TNT Sports’ networks and platforms with additional details to be announced.

“One of our main focuses heading into the 2025-26 season was playing a tougher non-conference schedule, and the Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas helps us achieve that,” Young said. “We are excited to open the season against Villanova at T-Mobile Arena in November and expect to see Cougar Nation out in full force.”

The showdown in Sin City will be the fourth all-time meeting BYU and Villanova and first since 1984. The Cougars are 1-2 all-time against the Wildcats with the lone win coming in overtime, 102-93, on Dec. 29, 1970 at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The Cougars will play at T-Mobile Arena for the first time since a 92-90 overtime setback to UNLV on Dec. 15, 2018, as part of the Neon Hoops Showcase.

Tickets for the Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas go on sale on Friday, May 30 at Noon MT at HOFSeries.com.

Rumors of a couple of other neutral setting matchups for BYU include a game at Madison Square Garden in the Jimmy V Classic and an ESPN MTE (Multi-Team Event) that would also involve Georgetown, Dayton and Miami.

Add those meetings with an 18-game Big 12 schedule and BYU has a pretty big challenge ahead in 2025-26.

The Cougars are coming off a Sweet 16 season in Young’s college debut, posting a 26-10 record and finishing tied for third in the Big 12 regular season at 14-6. There is plenty of change to the roster, including the nation’s top high school recruit, AJ Dybantsa, and transfer portal additions Robert Wright III (Baylor), Dominique Diomonde (Washington), Kennard Davis Jr. (Southern Illinois), Tyler Mrus (Idaho) and Nate Pickens (UC Riverside).