Gonzaga basketball 2026-27 non-conference schedule tracker

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs officially enter the Pac-12 starting on July 1, 2026, beginning a new era of college hoops in Spokane.

Among the many projected changes for the Zags in the new league is the number of conference matchups. With nine total basketball playing members the Pac-12 is expected to have a round robin scheduling format - where each team plays every other team twice, once at home and once on the road.

This balanced schedule is not only easier for fans to follow, but it also ensures an even playing field for every team in the conference. Everyone will have to make a trip to San Marcos, TX, everyone will have to play Gonzaga in Spokane, and San Diego State at Viejas Arena, etc.

Not only is this different than Gonzaga's final two seasons in the WCC, when they had an unbalanced conference schedule, but it also means the Pac-12 will feature just 16 regular-season conference games - compared to the 18 played in the West Coast Conference.

And now, with the NCAA now allowing college basketball programs to play 32 regular-season games, Gonzaga will be allowed to play 16 non-conference matchups in 2026-27 - up from 13 the previous two years.

Coach Few has long shown a willingness to challenge his team with a rigorous non-conference slate, and that is not expected to change heading into the new conference.

Below is a look at what we know so far about Gonzaga's non-conference schedule for the 2026-27 season, the last 16 games the Zags will play before embarking on their first journey through the new look Pac-12 conference:

1. Purdue Boilermakers (Nov. 2, 2026)

In late February, Gonzaga announced they will begin the 2026-27 season with a bang, facing Matt Painter and the Purdue Boilermakers in a neutral-site matchup at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The game will take place on Monday, Nov. 2, 2026, as part of the Hall of Fame series. It will be a men's basketball double-header, also featuring a rivalry showdown between former Pac-12 foes UCLA and Arizona.

Both games will be nationally televised through TNT, and more details - including tip time and ticket information - will be released at a later date.

2. UCLA Bruins (Date TBD)

Roughly an hour before Gonzaga and UCLA tipped off at Climate Pledge Arena last December, it was reported by college hoops insider Jon Rothstein that these two programs would renew their neutral site series for another two years.

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

As of this writing, it is unclear when and where the next two games in this series will take place, although it is expected that both matchups will occur on neutral sites.

3. Kentucky Wildcats (Date TBD)

Back in the summer of 2022, coach Few and then Kentucky head coach John Calipari publicized an agreement to start a massive six-year series between the two powerhouse programs. The setup was revealed as follows: 2022-23 at Spokane Arena, 2023-24 at Rupp Arena in Lexington, 2024-25 at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, 2025-26 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, 2026-27 at the Kennel, and finally 2027-28 back at Rupp Arena.

That means that - for the first time ever - Gonzaga will host the Wildcats on their home floor this upcoming season, although it won't be coach Calipari on the sideline.

The Zags won the first two games against coach Cal, but when Mark Pope took over in 2024-25, he orchestrated an 18-point comeback to stun Gonzaga in overtime in Seattle. The Zags got revenge with a blowout win over UK in Nashville this year, and will look to extend their lead in the series to 4-1 this year when they bring the 'Cats out to Spokane.

Dec 7, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope celebrates after a game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at Climate Pledge Arena. | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

A date and time has not been set for this matchup as of this writing.

4. Creighton Bluejays (Date TBD)

Gonzaga hosted Creighton in mid-November at the McCarthey Athletic Center, blasting the then No. 23-ranked Bluejays by 27 points in what looked to be a signature win for coach Few's team.

It turns out Creighton wasn't nearly as good as anticipated, and in fact, the rough campaign resulted in longtime coach Greg McDermott retiring at the end of the season, passing the program over to coach-in-waiting Alan Huss.

This year Gonzaga will return the favor by playing Creighton at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, and - depending on what time of year the matchup gets scheduled - it will likely be one of Huss' first really big tests as the Bluejays new head coach.

5. Oregon Ducks (Date TBD)

Gonzaga and Oregon scheduled each other voluntarily for the first time in 41 years last season, squaring off at the Moda Center in Portland back on Dec. 21, 2025 - a game the Zags won by nine.

It wasn't just a one-off matchup, however, with Oregon coach Dana Altman confirming that the contract between these two teams stipulates a return game in Seattle in either the 2026-27 or 2027-28 season.

Mar 3, 2026; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Oregon Ducks head coach Dana Altman. | Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

So, as of this writing, it is unclear if Oregon will be part of Gonzaga's non-conference schedule this upcoming season or the following, but fans can safely assume they won't have to wait another four decades for these two teams to square off in a non-tournament setting.

6. Players Era Festival (3 Games)

Gonzaga is committed to the Players Era Festival for the second year in a row in 2026. Players Era is a multi-team event (MTE) in its third year that will take place over Thanksgiving week in Las Vegas. Last year, Gonzaga beat Alabama and Maryland in their first two games - before an absolute beatdown at the hands of Michigan in the championship game.

The event is expanding from 18 to 32 teams, although the format is still being worked out. CEO Seth Berger revealed they will have four eight-team 'pods' and an ultimate faceoff between "the four kings" of those groups, but how those groups are determined, and when those games will occur, remains up in the air.

While Gonzaga's matchups are unknown, the field consists of multiple elite college basketball programs, including eight teams from the Big 12: Kansas, Houston, Iowa State, Texas Tech, Baylor, TCU, Kansas State, and West Virginia.

Other teams expected to return include Notre Dame, Creighton, Rutgers, Tennessee, Maryland, Syracuse, St. John's, Auburn, UNLV, Oregon, Michigan, and San Diego State.

Other

Gonzaga still has quite a few games to play with on the 2026-27 calendar, and will likely add at least one or two more marquee matchups as well as a handful of 'buy' games against low major opponents.

This past season saw the Zags play four buy games - against Texas Southern, Campbell, North Florida, and Southern Utah - and a similar number can be assumed for 2026-27.

The potential exists for Gonzaga to restart a series with someone like Washington, or Baylor, or UConn, while fans will clamor for Arizona, BYU, Saint Mary's, or even Randy Bennett's new home at Arizona State to get added as well.

Check back for updates on Gonzaga's non-conference schedule as the offseason moves along.