Leon Rice’s Final Ride at The Pit: A Legacy Built in the Altitude
Leon Rice still remembers the first time he stepped into The Pit. It was 2000, and he was a young assistant coach at Gonzaga, wide-eyed and full of energy, ready for a Sweet 16 clash against Purdue. But it wasn’t the stakes or the crowd that hit him first - it was the altitude.
“We skipped a media timeout and we liked to run and we thought that would favor us,” Rice recalled. “But the first media timeout came with like 12 minutes left in the first half.
We did some mass subbing and looked out there - the game was starting, and we only had four players on the court. Everybody was so gassed they couldn’t go back out there.”
That moment stuck with him. It was his introduction to the unique challenges of playing in Albuquerque, and it shaped the way he coached in high-altitude environments from that point forward.
Fast forward 26 years, and Rice is preparing for what could be his final game at The Pit - a building that’s become a key character in his coaching journey. Boise State is heading to the Pac-12 next season, while New Mexico remains in the Mountain West. That means Saturday night’s showdown might be the last time Rice leads a team into one of college basketball’s most iconic arenas.
And make no mistake - The Pit is iconic.
“It’s an iconic place,” Rice said. “Going back to the N.C.
State national title game there, it’s just got such a history in basketball. Their fans are amazing and so knowledgeable about the game.
It’s one of the coolest places in the country to play a basketball game.”
Rice has coached 16 games at The Pit - three as an assistant at Gonzaga, 13 as Boise State’s head coach. He’s 5-11 overall in the building, including a few unforgettable battles and more than a few heartbreaks. But through it all, there’s a deep respect for the venue and the fans who pack it.
New Mexico currently leads the Mountain West in attendance, averaging 12,460 fans per game. Just this week, a 23-game home win streak was snapped in a loss to Utah State - a rare blemish for a team that’s made The Pit one of the toughest places to play in the country.
Rice knows that challenge all too well. His first win there as Boise State’s head coach came in 2015 when Derrick Marks dropped 31 points in a 69-59 victory. “Derrick was in complete control,” Rice said.
In 2018, Christian Sengfelder poured in 24 points and future NBA first-rounder Chandler Hutchison added 23 in a tight 73-71 win. Two years ago, Marcus Shaver had 18 points in another Boise State win, and in 2023, Tyson Degenhart hit a buzzer-beating three to force overtime before the Broncos ultimately fell 81-79. The following year, Max Rice lit up The Pit with seven 3-pointers and 35 points in an 86-78 win - one of the most electric performances in recent memory.
“A lot of crazy, great memories,” Rice said. “We’ve had some amazing games down there.”
And they’ve been close. Four of Boise State’s last six losses at The Pit have come by two points or fewer.
Only two of Rice’s nine losses there have been by double digits. The games are almost always competitive - and emotionally charged.
So what makes The Pit what it is?
Rice points to the design - the way the roof traps sound, the acoustics that make the noise feel louder than it should, and the fans who are practically on top of the court. Add in the altitude, and it’s a perfect storm for homecourt advantage.
“It all makes a difference,” Rice said.
Over the years, Rice’s relationship with The Pit has gone beyond basketball. He struck up a friendship with a New Mexico superfan known as “Snake,” a face-painted staple in the front row of the student section.
When Snake once applied for a job and found out the hiring manager was a Boise State alum, he listed Rice as a reference. Rice took the call - and helped him land the gig.
Each year when the Broncos arrive in Albuquerque, Snake is waiting in the parking lot. The two share hugs, stories, and Rice has even gifted him basketball shoes.
Of course, not every memory is warm and fuzzy. In 2023, tensions boiled over at halftime when New Mexico’s baseball team allegedly taunted the Broncos in a tight hallway outside the locker room. Rice described it at the time as nearly a “riot,” with both sides disagreeing on what exactly happened.
The fallout? A chorus of boos greeted Rice on his next two trips to The Pit in 2024 and 2025.
“That’s what makes sports great,” Rice said. “It would be miserable if nobody cared.
It’s way more fun when you have a villain, and I guess I could be their villain once in a while. But there’s an appreciation, I hope - because there’s an appreciation from me for what that place brings, the atmosphere, how unique it is, how cool it is.”
He added, “This day and age, you look across the country and it’s hard to get environments like that, especially on the West Coast. You look in our league and there’s some amazing ones, but there’s some places where the fans don’t show up.
And that would be miserable all the time for the home team. So I have a respect for it.”
Boise State already got the better of New Mexico earlier this season in Boise, winning 62-53. But this Saturday’s rematch is shaping up to be a different animal.
The Lobos are 18-5, winners of eight of their last ten, and sitting third in the Mountain West standings. The Broncos, meanwhile, are coming off a gritty overtime win over Nevada and have won five of six since a midseason skid.
KenPom projects a six-point New Mexico win, but history tells us this one could go down to the wire.
For Rice, this could be his 17th and final trip to The Pit - and you can bet he’ll take a moment to soak it all in.
“A lifetime of memories when you reflect later,” Rice said.
A win on Saturday night? That might be one of the best of them all.
Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. MT, nationally televised on CBS Sports Network.