Gonzaga adds exhibition game against local NAIA school

The Bulldogs will host Northwest on Oct. 19 in its first exhibition of the 2025-26 season

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs will play their first exhibition game of the 2025-26 season in less than three weeks.

Gonzaga took to social media on Tuesday afternoon to announce it will host Northwest University on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 2:00 P.M. at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Northwest is an NAIA program based in Kirkland, WA, that competes in the Cascade Collegiate Conference. The Eagles return a pair of starters, including Trent Williams, who was the team's second leading scorer last year.

Per Gonzaga's press release, the game will be broadcast live on SWX, with radio coverage available on the Varsity Sports app and locally on 96.1 FM. Live stats will also be available on GoZags.com.

It's the first of two exhibition games for Gonzaga against local non-D1 opponents, with the Zags slated to host the Division II Western Oregon Wolves on Oct. 27, six days before the season begins officially against Texas Southern on Nov. 3.

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

The two exhibitions will serve as proper tune-ups for coach Few's new look club, who only return four players who played for Gonzaga last year: big men Graham Ike, Braden Huff, and Ismaila Diagne, as well as guard Emmanuel Innocenti.

Gonzaga does have multiple other returners, including sharpshooting wing Steele Venters, who missed the past two full seasons due to injury, as well as redshirt transfer guards Braeden Smith and Jalen Warley from Colgate and Virginia, respectively.

The rest of Gonzaga's roster includes one incoming transfer — former Arizona State guard Adam Miller — and three incoming freshmen: Spanish guard Mario Saint-Supery, 4-star wing Davis Fogle, and 3-star forward Parker Jefferson.

Nov 10, 2024; Spokane, Washington, USA; Former Arizona State Sun Devils guard Adam Miller (44), now with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, walks off the court after a game at the McCarthey Athletic Center. | James Snook-Imagn Images

What's not clear is whether the Zags will have their other big-name transfer portal addition, Tyon Grant-Foster from Grand Canyon, who, as of this writing, has still not received an eligibility waiver from the NCAA to compete for the Bulldogs this upcoming season.

Gonzaga's first live showing will be this Saturday, Oct. 4, at Kraziness in the Kennel, an annual event for fans to meet the new players and see them in action for the first time in a scrimmage setting. Coach Few will then have the two non-D1 opponents to tweak his lineups and rotations before the game against Texas Southern, followed by two big-time games in Spokane: first against SEC foe Oklahoma at the Spokane Arena on Nov. 8 and then against perennial top 25 club Creighton at home on Nov. 11.