Texas will host Grambling on Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, with the opening tip set for 7 p.m. ET at Moody Center and the game carried live on SEC Network. It is the kind of nonconference date that gives both teams an early read on where they stand, and it arrives with Texas unbeaten at 2-0 and Grambling also off to a 1-0 start.
The Longhorns come in after a 98-50 win over Gardner-Webb on Thursday, a game in which Matas Vokietaitis led the way with 16 points, seven boards and zero assists. Grambling’s last result was tighter, a 89-87 win over Northern Illinois on Monday, when Isaiah Miranda scored 29 points. Those recent results matter because they shape the first real contrast in the matchup: Texas has separated from an opponent by a wide margin, while Grambling has already shown it can finish a close game.
That contrast is backed up by last season’s numbers. Texas scored 82.8 points per game and allowed 76.2, ranking 39th on offense and 242nd on defense, while Grambling averaged 70.3 points and gave up 70.1, good for 301st on offense and 68th on defense in college basketball. Texas also posted 85.6 points per game at home last season, compared with 79.3 away from home, which makes Moody Center a meaningful setting for this early-season meeting. Grambling, meanwhile, averaged 71.8 points at home and 68.1 away, another sign that the Tigers have more work to do when they leave home.
The numbers point to Texas as the more proven scoring team, and the schedule gives Grambling a chance to test that view on the road. Texas also held a small edge from beyond the arc last season, making 7.4 threes per game at 35.6%, while Grambling averaged 6.6 made threes at 31.8%. If the game turns into a pace-and-shot contest, the Longhorns should have the cleaner path, but Grambling’s unbeaten start keeps the matchup from feeling routine. By the time the ball goes up on Nov. 9, the main question will not be whether the game matters, but whether Grambling can make Texas play at a closer margin than its first two games have suggested.
