Kentucky, Gonzaga Cancel Remaining Two Games on Six Year Series

The Wildcats and Bulldogs still could meet many times in the future

Dec 5, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34) drives to the basket past Kentucky Wildcats guard Jasper Johnson (2) during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

A longtime non-conference series in college basketball is coming to an end as Kentucky and Gonzaga have mutually agreed to halt their six-year contract with two games remaining.

The announcement of the canceled series came hours before the CBS Sports report that stated the two programs are planning to be involved in the newly created Diamond Cup, which will begin in the 2027-28 season.

Kentucky and Gonzaga would, presumably, meet over the course of the format of the event.

In its four games played, the Bulldogs won three including a stunning 35-point victory in Nashville this season. Its only loss was the year prior in Seattle by one point in overtime.

The official reasoning of canceling its series was “to allow each program freedom to re-evaluate future scheduling priorities, including conference obligations and nonconference opportunities,” according to a joint statement put out by the teams.

Kentucky was slated to host Gonzaga this upcoming season while the Bulldogs would play host to the Wildcats in 2027-28 as the series concluded.

The two teams had only hosted in the first two games of the series, beginning in Spokane in 2022-23 before flipping to Lexington in 2023-24 prior to its meetings in Seattle and Nashville.

Kentucky, entering its third season under Mark Pope, is trying to piece together a roster that will compete at the top of the SEC again and bounce back from a year disrupted by injuries.

Gonzaga will be joining the revived Pac-12 after being a dominant force in the WCC but has already put together a very daunting non-conference schedule that includes at least three games in the Players Era Festival as well as a matchup against Duke in February in Detroit.

The series was always one of the highlights on the college basketball calendar but each program will be looking to replace its series with another elite level game.