Gonzaga adds Montana State to growing 2026-27 non-conference schedule

Gonzaga has not played Montana State since 1997

Nov 19, 2024; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Montana State Bobcats head coach Matt Logie gestures to his team against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

While the Gonzaga Bulldogs have not yet published their non-conference schedule, pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together.

A few hours after NAIA school Eastern Oregon revealed Gonzaga as part of their schedule this season, the Montana State Bobcats did so as well - with a matchup between the two programs set for Tuesday, Nov. 17, in Spokane at the McCarthey Athletic Center. The time of the game has yet to be determined.

This becomes Gonzaga's third known home game of the non-conference season, joining Eastern Oregon (Dec. 2) and New Mexico State (Nov. 7), which will likely be the team's home opener.

Meet the Bobcats

Mar 13, 2024; Boise, ID, USA; Montana State Bobcats forward Jaden Geron (5) | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Shockingly, despite being located roughly 400 miles away in Bozeman, Montana State has not played Gonzaga since 1997 - two years before Mark Few took over as the head coach.

The two programs had a rich history in the 60's and 70's when they were both part of the Big Sky Conference. The Zags and Bobcats met up 49 times from 1963-1979, with Gonzaga going 27-22 to lead the series, before joining the WCC in 1980.

The Bobcats don't have a ton of historical success on the hardwood, making the NCAA Tournament just five times since joining the Big Sky in the early 60's. Three of those five appearances have come in the past five years, twice under Danny Sprinkle (now the head coach at Washington) and once under current head coach Matt Logie in 2024, when they were a play-in No. 16 seed who lost before making the 64-team field.

Last year, Montana State went 18-14 and 12-6 in conference play, one game behind Portland State for first place. The Bobcats, who finished No. 134 at KenPom, lost to Idaho in the first round of the conference tournament.

Gonzaga's non-con coming together

Dec 13, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34) is guarded by UCLA Bruins center Xavier Booker (1) during the first half at Climate Pledge Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga is allowed up to 16 total non-conference games this year, thanks to a 32-game maximum and just 16 games in Pac-12 play. The Zags have already scheduled a litany of high-profile neutral-site games, including Purdue at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 2, UCLA at the Honda Center in Anaheim on Dec. 5, Michigan State at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs on Dec. 19, and Duke at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Feb. 20.

Gonzaga will also host LSU at the Spokane Arena on Nov. 14 and will travel to Omaha to play the Creighton Bluejays on Dec. 12, while also reportedly taking on Arkansas at Bud Walton Arena in an exhibition game sometime in October. As if that weren't enough of a gauntlet, the Zags are also once again participating in the Player's Era Festival in Las Vegas Nov. 24-27. They will take on Kansas State Nov. 24 and either Baylor or Alabama on Nov. 25, with a third matchup tbd and potentially a fourth if they win the first three.

Montana State, New Mexico State, and Eastern Oregon give the Zags 12 total games scheduled, with up to four more still to come. Expect one or two more 'buy' games at home against mid-major opponents, and likely a game at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle - with Oregon a potential opponent after the two teams played in Portland last year.