Gonzaga announces season opening matchup against Big Ten powerhouse

The Gonzaga Bulldogs will get the 2026-27 season started off with a bang, scheduling a matchup against the Purdue Boilermakers on opening night as part of the Hall of Fame Series at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The matchup was officially revealed on Wednesday as part of the four-game event, which also features a rivalry game between UCLA and Arizona and a pair of women's games between USC and UNLV and Arizona and Stanford.

"We're incredibly grateful to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for the opportunity to open our season in such a premier event," said Mark Few, per release from the school. "The Hall of Fame represents the very best of our game, and it's special for our program to be part of something that celebrates college basketball at the highest level. We have tremendous respect for Purdue and for the outstanding program Matt Painter has built — his teams are always tough, disciplined and well-coached. Opening the season against an opponent of that caliber in Las Vegas will be a great challenge and an exciting way to start the year."

All four games will be nationally televised through TNT, with more details - including tip times and ticket sale information - to be announced at a later date.

Purdue is one of very few teams in college hoops with a perfect record against Gonzaga in the last 30 years. The Boilermakers are 5-0 against the Zags dating back to 1998, when Dan Monson's team suffered an 83-68 loss on the road in a preseason NIT event.

Gonzaga then lost to Purdue in the NCAA Tournament in 2000 and again almost exactly 24 years later, with both defeats coming in the Sweet 16.

The other two losses were back-to-back years in Feast Week tournaments, first in the PK85 in Portland in 2022 and again in the Maui Invitational in 2023. Three of Purdue's five wins against Gonzaga came while Zach Edey - the two-time Naismith Player of the Year - was on their roster.

"We are obviously excited to open the 2026-27 season in Las Vegas against an outstanding opponent in Gonzaga," said Purdue Coach Matt Painter. "We take pride in making our non-conference schedule one of the best in the country and playing an outstanding team led by a very successful coach Mark Few. They will provide a big challenge for our program. Our fans have traveled in large numbers for all of our neutral-site games and we expect a great atmosphere to start the season."

Gonzaga is joining the new look Pac-12 in 2026-27, a league that will have nine basketball playing members and an expected true round robin scheduling format - giving the Zags an even 16 conference and non-conference games for a total of 32.

Purdue is set to join a Gonzaga schedule that is expected to include Kentucky, Creighton, UCLA, and Oregon, as well as three games in the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.

Gonzaga will host Kentucky at the McCarthey Athletic Center for the first time in program history in game five of a six-year series agreed to prior to the 2022-23 season. The Zags will also face Creighton on the road in the return game of a series that began in 2025-26, and are reportedly going to play UCLA on a neutral floor again - although a location for that game has yet to be determined. Oregon is rumored to be on the schedule as well, potentially on a neutral floor in Seattle, after the two teams met in Portland this past December.

A partnership between Gonzaga and the Naismith Hall of Fame is well-timed, as coach Few is currently among 21 finalists for the Naismith Hall of Fame class of 2026, with an announcement of the inductees set for April 4 at 9:00 AM ET on ESPN.