Gonzaga schedules SEC team for November matchup at Spokane Arena

Gonzaga has won their last three games at the Spokane Arena in dominant fashion

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few (left) and assistant coach Brian Michaelson (right). | Photo by Erik Smith

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs saw their longstanding series with Kentucky come to an abrupt end last month, but they've already replaced it with a different SEC opponent.

According to a report from Alex Rosinski, Gonzaga will host LSU on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Spokane Arena. The matchup has not been confirmed by either program as of this writing, and no start time or ticket information has been revealed.

Gonzaga has dominated in their three previous matchups at the Spokane Arena, beating Oklahoma 83-68 last season after demolishing Baylor, 101-63, in the opening game of the 2024-25 campaign.

Before that, Gonzaga hosted Kentucky in 2022-23, the first matchup of the six-year series that ultimately ended after four matchups. Gonzaga went 3-1 overall against the 'Cats - including their 88-72 win at the arena.

Schedule News: Gonzaga and LSU will play at Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane. The date is set for Saturday November 14th.

— Alex Rosinski (@WiscyBusiness) June 3, 2026

Meet the Tigers

LSU is now coached, once again, by Will Wade, who was with the Tigers from 2017 to 2022 before he was let go for NCAA violations. He landed at McNeese and went 50-9 in two years with the Cowboys before he was hired by NC State and led the Wolfpack to a 20-14 record last year.

Wade then left NC State after just one season to return to Baton Rouge, and he has built an entirely new - and not exactly legal - roster.

Wade is clearly willing to challenge the NCAA on their recent rules around international professionals, as well as former college basketball players returning. RJ Luis, the 2024-25 Big East Player of the Year while at St. John's, is attempting to come back to college after signing a two-way contract and playing in the G League last year - which seems unlikely to be granted after Charles Bediako was ultimately shot down in court for doing the same at Alabama.

LSU also added 25-year-old European pro Yam Madar, who was selected 47th overall in the 2020(!) NBA draft, as well as 22-year-old Saliou Niang - who went No. 58 in 2025. As if that weren't enough, Wade also secured commitments from a pair of 23-year-old pros in Marcio Santos and Brice Dessert, giving him nearly an entire roster of players the NCAA could feasibly deny eligibility for next season.

Gonzaga and LSU, somewhat amazingly, have never played each other. LSU is one of three SEC teams the Zags have not matched up against, alongside Ole Miss and Vanderbilt.

Elite non-con

LSU joins Gonzaga's already loaded non-conference slate, becoming the fourth known individual game on the calendar. The Zags will face Purdue on opening night, Nov. 2, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and have another Big Ten showdown on Dec. 19 against Michigan State at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, CA.

The Zags will also take on Duke in Detroit on Feb. 20, and of course are set to participate in the third annual Player's Era Festival in Las Vegas - with their first matchup set against Kansas State on Nov. 24.

A road game with Creighton is expected after Goznaga hosted the Bluejays last year, although a date has not been announced. Similarly, Gonzaga has reported deals to play UCLA on a neutral floor and Oregon in Seattle, but both those games could either start this upcoming season or in 2027-28.