EDINBURG, Texas – The University of Texas-Pan American men’s basketball team announced on Thursday that they will open the 2012-13 season on Friday, November 9 against 2012 NIT participant University of Iowa.

It’s the first of five games against 2012 postseason participants and the start of a six-game road trip leading up to the Broncs’ home opener against SIU-Edwardsville on Saturday, November 24 at 7:00 p.m. at the UTPA Fieldhouse.

Season tickets start at $75 and can be purchased by calling the UTPA Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at 956-665-2221 or by going online toUTPABroncs.com.

The Broncs play 13 of their 31 regular season games at home, including match-ups with 2012 NCAA Tournament participant Lamar on Saturday, December 15 at 7:00 p.m. and 2012 CollegeInsider.com Tournament participants Utah Valley on Saturday, January 19 at 7:00 p.m. and CSU Bakersfield on Wednesday, February 14 at 7:00 p.m.

The Broncs also face Utah Valley on the road on Saturday, February 9.

“We have the opportunity to have some really competitive teams at home,” Broncs head coach Ryan Marks said. “Things really balanced out well. We have 13 home games, 14 road games and four neutral, and in a lot of ways, that’s what you’re shooting for.”

The Broncs will be tested early. The Broncs visit Bradley three days after playing Iowa, and then open up a tournament at Eastern Michigan in which the Broncs will play four games in five days against Rochester College, Eastern Illinois, Eastern Michigan and IPFW.

After the home opener, the Broncs host UT-Arlington on Monday, December 3 at 7:00 p.m. before visiting Texas State on Saturday, December 8. The Broncs then return home for two games, playing Eureka College on Thursday, December 13 at 7:00 p.m. followed by Lamar.

“Opening up the way we are on the road, we’re glad to balance that off and have a good home slate, get some momentum going here and give our home fans a good look through December,” Marks said.

The Broncs play six of their next seven games on the road, taking part in the Tulane Classic against Tulane and Alabama State on December 18 and 19 before coming home to face the University of Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday, December 22 at 7:00 p.m. The Broncs travel to Oregon next for match-ups with Portland and Oregon State on December 29 and 31, respectively, before returning to Texas to face Houston on January 3. The Broncs open Great West Conference play at Houston Baptist on Wednesday, January 9.

All conference home games will be played on Saturdays at 7:00 p.m. as part of doubleheaders with the women’s basketball team. The four conference home dates are January 19 against Utah Valley, February 2 against Chicago State, February 16 against Houston Baptist and March 9 against NJIT. The Broncs also play home games at 7:00 p.m. against Oklahoma Panhandle State University on Tuesday, January 29, and against CSU Bakersfield on Thursday, February 14. The Broncs’ final non-conference game is at home against the University of New Orleans on Sunday, March 3 at 2:00 p.m.

The Great West Conference Tournament runs March 14 through 16 at Jones Convocation Center on the campus of Chicago State, with the champion earning an automatic bid to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT).

“I think the conference is going to be close and competitive, as it has been the last couple of years,” Marks said. “We have certainly recruited well. We like our team. Our aspiration is to win the Great West Conference.”