On NBA Opening Week, the San Antonio Spurs will face the Houston Rockets on October 23, 2026. But instead of hosting them in San Antonio, they will play against the Rockets at the University of Texas in Austin. This will be incredibly special for Rockets’ Kevin Durant, as he played his only college season at Texas before entering the NBA Draft.
Kevin Durant to have homecoming treatment at University of Texas
The San Antonio Spurs will host the Houston Rockets at the University of Texas in Austin on October 23, 2026, during NBA Opening Week. The game will take place at Moody Center, the Longhorns’ arena.
The matchup carries extra meaning because of Kevin Durant. Durant spent his only college season at the University of Texas in 2006-07, where he quickly became a star and one of the most celebrated players in program history. He left after one year for the NBA and has since built a Hall of Fame career.
In the 2006-07 season, Durant arrived in Austin as a highly touted freshman and immediately dominated. He averaged more than 25 points and nearly 9 rebounds per game, earned national player of the year honors, and led the Longhorns to a strong season before declaring for the NBA Draft after just one year. That single season made him one of the most significant figures in modern Texas basketball history. Fans still refer to him as a Longhorns legend.
The Spurs will host the Rockets at the University of Texas on October 23rd during NBA opening week.
Another return trip back to college for Texas Longhorns legend Kevin Durant. pic.twitter.com/xeRWmYgyX9
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) August 11, 2026
Nearly two decades later, Durant finds himself on the Houston Rockets after a multi-team trade in 2025 that brought him to Texas once again. Playing against the Spurs at Moody Center therefore becomes a rare full-circle moment: a player who once wore the burnt orange returning as an established superstar to the same campus, this time in a Rockets uniform, facing a rival franchise.
Reason San Antonio Spurs chose the University of Texas to host the Rockets
Austin sits only about 80 miles north of San Antonio along Interstate 35. Over the past decade, the city has grown rapidly in population, jobs, and cultural influence. Many Spurs fans already live in Austin or the surrounding Central Texas area. By scheduling regular-season games at Moody Center, the team makes it easier for those fans to attend. It also keeps the Spurs visible in a city that is otherwise dominated by University of Texas athletics and has no permanent NBA franchise of its own.
The I-35 Series has become a tradition. What began as occasional visits has turned into an annual event the Spurs call the I-35 Series. Since 2023, the team has regularly played one or two home games each season at Moody Center. These games have drawn strong crowds, generated local economic activity, and helped the franchise maintain a presence in Central Texas.
Moody Center is a modern, NBA-caliber arena. It offers good facilities for players, staff, and fans, which makes it a practical choice for a professional game. On top of that, the specific opponent and timing add promotional value. The Rockets feature Kevin Durant, who played his college season at Texas and remains a Longhorns legend. Pairing a regional rivalry game with Durant’s return to campus during Opening Week brings a natural story that the league and both teams can promote.
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