Gonzaga officially announces first-ever matchup with LSU

For the first time in program history, the Gonzaga Bulldogs will take on the LSU Tigers in a men's basketball showdown. The game, which was reported back in early June, was confirmed by Gonzaga in a press release published on Monday morning.

Gonzaga and LSU will meet at the Spokane Arena on Saturday, Nov. 14, in the Bad Boy Mowers Spokane Series. The tip time and broadcast details will be announced at a later date, while tickets are set to go on sale June 26 through the Spokane Arena website.

Gonzaga has never squared off against LSU, although they have had plenty of recent success against teams in the SEC, with a 7-2 record against the conference over their last nine matchups.

That includes last year's 83-68 win over Oklahoma at the Spokane Arena, as well as a win in November 2022 against Kentucky, also at the arena. Gonzaga also has wins over Alabama, Georgia, and Auburn in that stretch.

Clash with the Tigers set for Nov. 14 in @numericaarena
📰Press Release: https://t.co/jOyhvWwFtS pic.twitter.com/c6vPWUZ6Cw
— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) June 15, 2026

Gonzaga is 15-6 all-time at the Spokane Arena since it opened in 1995. The Zags have won seven straight, with the last loss coming in 2011 against John Calipari and his Memphis Tigers.

Three of Gonzaga's five losses at Spokane Arena came against Memphis, while two of them were against Washington State in 1995 and 1996, before Mark Few was the head coach. The other loss was in overtime in 2001 against New Mexico, while Gonzaga has wins over Washington, Washington State, Prairie View, Eastern Washington, Georgia, Western Michigan, Pepperdine, Baylor, and Portland as well.

Tiger hunting

Although Gonzaga has never faced LSU, they are familiar with the Tigers' head coach, Will Wade, who was on the sideline at McNeese when the Zags thumped the Cowboys, 86-65, in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.

Mar 21, 2024; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; McNeese State Cowboys head coach Will Wade. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Wade was LSU's head coach from 2017 to 2022 before he was fired for NCAA violations. He landed at McNeese and went 50-9 with the Cowboys before NC State hired him last year. After leading the Wolfpack to a 20-14 record and an NCAA Tournament appearance, Wade left and returned to LSU - and has built a unique, and not entirely legal, roster.

RJ Luis, the 2024-25 Big East Player of the Year who left St. John's and signed a two-way contract in the NBA, is trying to get his eligibility reinstated for the upcoming season to play for LSU. Additionally, the Tigers brought in 25-year-old Yam Madar who was the 47th overall pick in the 2020(!) NBA draft, as well as 22-year-old Saliou Niang, who went No. 58 overall in 2025.

Whether any of those players end up suiting up for LSU remains to be seen, but either way this will be a nice early season test for Few and the Zags as they prepare for their first season in the new look Pac-12.

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