Gonzaga adds Incarnate Word to 2026-27 non-conference schedule

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are not only putting the finishing touches on the roster but on the non-conference schedule as well.

Rocco Miller of Bracketeer.org reports the Zags will host Incarnate Word out of the Southland Conference on either Nov. 10 or Nov. 11, becoming the fifth true home game for the Bulldogs this upcoming season and the 15th total non-conference matchup.

Gonzaga will also host New Mexico State (Nov. 7), Montana State (Nov. 17), Eastern Oregon (Dec. 2), and Cornell (Dec. 31) at the McCarthey Athletic Center, and will face LSU at nearby Spokane Arena on Nov. 14.

Meet the Cardinals

Indiana's Tayton Conerway and Incarnate Word's Tajh Staveskie (2) go fof a loose ball during the Indiana versus Incarnate Word men's basketball game at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Incarnate Word, located in San Antonio, TX, is entering its 14th season at the Division 1 level, all of which have been in the Southland. The Cardinals have had four winning seasons at this level, three of which occurred in their first three years, from 2013-2016.

Last year, Incarnate Word went 12-19 overall and 7-15 in league play, finishing tied for ninth and failing to make the conference tournament. The team lost seven players from last year's team to the transfer portal, but did bring in Maximo Garcia-Plata from Florida State and Darrae Goodwin from San Diego.

Gonzaga has played Incarnate Word once, beating the Cardinals 103-68 in November 2017 behind 18 points in 16 minutes from Rui Hachimura and 17 points off the bench from current assistant coach Zach Norvell Jr.

The Zags and Cardinals do not share any player links, although that almost changed this year. Skylar Wicks - who committed to Gonzaga in late June but reopened his recruitment late last week - played at Incarnate Word in 2023-24, averaging 13.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 30 games.

Gonzaga's non-conference schedule is nearly complete

Feb 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga now has 15 non-conference games on the schedule, and could play one more if they advance to the championship of the Players Era Festival.

With 32 regular-season games and 16 in Pac-12 conference play, it's entirely possible Gonzaga's non-conference schedule is now finalized. However, the team only has one of its three allotted exhibition games reported - at Arkansas on Oct. 24 - so one or two more of those could end up happening in October before the season officially begins.

In addition to the five home games, Gonzaga has ten matchups against power conference opponents, nine of which will be played on neutral sites. Those matchups include Purdue (Nov. 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas), LSU (Nov. 14 at Spokane Arena), UCLA (Dec. 5 at Honda Center in Anaheim), Creighton (Dec. 12 in Omaha), Michigan State (Dec. 19 at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs), Oregon (Jan. 30 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle), and Duke (Feb. 20 at Little Caesar's Arena in Detroit) with the final three coming in the Players Era Festival.

Gonzaga will open up their second year at Players Era on Nov. 24 against Kansas State, and will play either Baylor or Alabama two days later on Nov. 26. The next day will be a matchup with one of Creighton, TCU, Miami, or defending champion Michigan, and if the Zags win all three of those games they will play a fourth game for the tournament championship on Nov. 28.

Before any of that, Gonzaga fans can get a first glimpse of the 2026-27 team - or whoever is eligible at the time - on Saturday, Oct. 3 at 2:00 PM PT for the annual Kraziness in the Kennel event at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

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