The Ali Farokhmanesh era starts with quite the (unofficial) test.
The Colorado State men’s basketball team plays its lone official exhibition game Oct. 25 at Creighton.
What kind of challenge is it for Farokhmanesh and the Rams ahead of his first season as head coach? Well, Creighton is preseason No. 23 and just beat No. 16/18 Iowa State 71-58 in an exhibition.
“It’s exactly what you want to test yourself with against a high-level team. They’re competing for NCAA Tournament seeding every year, so you want to measure yourself against them and see where you’re at,” Farokhmanesh said.
After months of practicing leading up to the season, Farokhmanesh says it’s high time for CSU to get to face someone new.
“You’re just so familiar with what each other does and how each other plays that we need to see somebody else. I think it’s going to be great for us to see somebody else and on the road,” Farokhmanesh said. “You’re getting thrown in the fire right away. It’s going to be a good crowd, they’re a great program.”
Here’s a look at everything to know about the game.
What time does Colorado State vs Creighton basketball start?
- Date: Oct. 25
- Start time: 5 p.m. MT/6 p.m. CT
Saturday’s game between Colorado State and Creighton will begin at 5 p.m. Mountain and 6 p.m. Central from Omaha.
How can you watch Colorado State vs Creighton basketball on TV, online?
Who are the coaches?
Creighton is led by Greg McDermott, who is entering his 16th season as coach of the Bluejays and 24th season overall as a head coach. McDermott is 350-171 at Creighton.
CSU is led by Ali Farokhmanesh, who is entering his first season as a head coach. He’s been a CSU assistant since 2018 under former head coach Niko Medved.
Series history
CSU is 3-3 all-time against Creighton and the Rams have won the last two meetings. CSU won 69-48 in a neutral-site game in Kansas City in the last meeting in 2023.
This game won’t count toward official season or historical records.
Stadium information
The game will be at CHI Health Center in Omaha. The arena has a capacity of 17,560. Creighton had an announced attendance of 15,571 for an exhibition against Iowa State on Oct. 17.
What do the metrics say?
Creighton is ranked No. 23 in both the preseason AP and coaches polls.
Creighton is No. 41 in KenPom’s preseason rankings and CSU is No. 79.
Season-opener information
This is the lone public exhibition for CSU. The Rams officially open the 2025-26 season and the Farokhmanesh era at 7 p.m. Nov. 3 at Moby Arena against Incarnate Word.
Creighton opens the season Nov. 5 at home against South Dakota.
Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.
