LAS VEGAS — Just when it felt like the season had quietly ended in Las Vegas, UNLV is getting one more game.

The Runnin’ Rebels accepted a bid to the National Invitation Tournament and will travel to face UC Irvine in a first-round matchup Tuesday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. PT at the Bren Events Center, with the game airing nationally on ESPNU.

For UNLV, the invitation is a surprising extension to the season and a welcome one.

The Rebels finished 17-16 and appeared headed to the offseason after falling to Utah State in last week’s Mountain West Tournament. Instead, the locker room gets at least one more bus ride, one more film session and one more chance to step on the floor together.

“We’re excited to receive an invitation to the NIT and grateful for the opportunity to continue our season,” head coach Josh Pastner said in a statement released by the school. “Any time you get the chance to keep competing with your group, it’s something you appreciate. For us, especially in our first year building this program, it’s a great chance to continue our positive trajectory toward our larger goals.”

The timing is notable.

UNLV closed the season playing its best basketball. The Rebels won seven of their final 11 games and showed clear improvement during the second half of Mountain West play. They opened the conference tournament with a win over Wyoming before their run ended against Utah State, which went on to win the league championship.

For a roster still learning how to win together, the extra game carries value beyond the bracket itself.

It means a few more practices for a young group. A few more opportunities to sharpen habits and build confidence. And for seniors, it means the season doesn’t end in a quiet locker room just yet.

This will mark UNLV’s second NIT appearance in the past three seasons. The Rebels previously reached the quarterfinals of the tournament in 2024, which was the program’s first postseason appearance since the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

Tuesday’s game will be the 12th NIT appearance in program history. UNLV holds a 10-12 record in the event, with its best finish coming in 1980 when the Rebels advanced to the semifinals in New York.

Standing in the way is a UC Irvine team that finished 23-11, earned a No. 4 seed in the NIT and won the Big West regular-season title with a 15-5 conference record.

UC Irvine reached the conference tournament championship game before falling to Hawaii on Saturday.

The matchup also carries some historical familiarity.

UNLV leads the all-time series with UC Irvine 32-9, a product of the programs sharing the Big West Conference from 1982 through 1996. The last meeting between the schools came on Nov. 28, 2012, in Las Vegas.

The winner of Tuesday’s game will advance to the second round to face the winner of Tulsa and Stephen F. Austin. That game will be played March 21 or March 22 at a site to be determined.

The NIT quarterfinals are scheduled for March 24 and 25. The four remaining teams will advance to Hinkle Fieldhouse for the semifinals on April 2, with the championship game set for April 5 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Instead of the offseason beginning last week, UNLV now heads to Southern California with its season still alive.

For a program still building under Pastner, the season gets at least one more chapter.

PM