On weekday mornings, Nevada Sports Net will recap three big headlines of the day in its Morning Download. Read below for today’s topics.
1. Nevada men’s basketball to play exhibition at Utah
The Nevada men’s basketball team will play an exhibition game Utah on Oct. 17. The Utes announced their schedule last week, which revealed the Wolf Pack’s road game at Utah. It will be the first time the teams have played since a home-and-home series in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons (that series was split with both road teams winning). Nevada has not released its 2025-26 schedule. But last season, the Wolf Pack played two closed-door scrimmages (against Oregon and UC Davis). Nevada is taking a different route this season with an open exhibition against the Big 12’s Utah, which went 16-17 last season and 8-12 in league. Division I schools can play up to two exhibition games before the start of the season, which for Nevada will be a home game against Louisiana Tech on Nov. 4.
2. Lower-division schools dominate prep football’s first week
Lower-division schools had great success in the first week of the prep football season with 3A South Tahoe beating 4A North Valleys (20-14, OT); 3A Fernley beating 5A Douglas (29-21); 3A Sparks topping 4A Hug (26-14); and 3A Dayton beating 4A Wooster (45-0). In other games, 5A Bishop Manogue survived a scare against 4A McQueen. The Miners led 21-9 at halftime before falling behind, 22-21, and surging to a 36-29 victory. Spanish Springs beat Simi Valley (Calif.), 41-21, on the road while Truckee topped Konawanae (Hawaii), 25-17, on the islands. Both were considered upsets. Fallon also beat Boulder City, 43-6, in a North vs. South in-state battle.
3. Wolf Pack soccer scores first victory
The Nevada women’s soccer team overcame a halftime deficit to beat Northern Arizona, 2-1, on Sunday afternoon. The Wolf Pack got goals from freshman Naima Castro and junior Olivia Loomis in the second half, with those scored in a six-minute stretch to push Nevada past the Lumberjacks. Castro equalized off a fastbreak strike from outside the box, hitting a shot off the top post into the net. Loomis then buried a strike from the right corner of the box for the game-winner. Nevada went 1-1 on its season-opening road trip after losing to Arizona State to open the year. The Wolf Pack’s next match is its home opener against Cal Poly on Aug. 28.