Highly anticipated non-conference matchup between Gonzaga and Baylor scrapped

The series between Gonzaga and Baylor is on hiatus after just one game

Baylor Bears head coach Scott Drew. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

A highly anticipated non-conference matchup for Gonzaga won't be happening after all.

The Baylor Bears revealed their non-conference schedule on Tuesday and there is no game against Gonzaga, putting the series between the two powerhouse programs on a hiatus.

Mark Few and Scott Drew reportedly agreed to a three-year series starting in the 2024-25 season. It was anticipated that one game would be played in Spokane, one game in Waco, and another at a neutral site.

The series began last year when Gonzaga hosted Baylor at the Spokane Arena on the first day of the college basketball season. The Zags massacred the Bears by 38 points, 101-63, behind 17 points from Nolan Hickman, 15 from Graham Ike, and 14 off the bench from Braden Huff.

It was a sign of things to come for Baylor, which ultimately went a disappointing 20-15 overall and just 10-10 in Big 12 play, earning a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament and falling in the Round of 32 to Duke, 89-66. Baylor then underwent a complete roster overhaul, replacing everyone on the team in an effort to start fresh in 2025-26. Notable newcomers include Oregon State transfer forward Michael Rataj, Cincinnati transfer and one-time Zag target Dan Skillings, and 5-star freshman Tounde Yessoufou.

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff against the Baylor Bears. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

There is still a chance these two teams will square off before conference play begins, as both programs are part of the Player's Era Festival in Las Vegas the week of Thanksgiving. Gonzaga will take on Alabama on Nov. 24 and Maryland on Nov. 25, while Baylor takes on Creighton and St. John's. Each team's third opponent will be based on how they perform in those first two games, making a matchup possible on Wednesday, Nov. 26.

In addition to Creighton and St. John's in Las Vegas, Baylor will also take on Washington in Waco, Memphis at Memphis, and Louisville in Fort Worth in February as a midseason non-conference battle. The Bears also have an exhibition game against Grand Canyon and former Zag Dusty Stromer set for Oct. 10, and another one against Indiana on Oct. 26.

Meanwhile, Gonzaga did not struggle to put together a competitive non-conference slate as usual, even without the benefit of playing Baylor. The Zags will face Oklahoma and Creighton in Spokane in early November, Kentucky in Nashville in early December, UCLA in Seattle on Dec. 13, and Oregon in Portland on Dec. 21.

Gonzaga owns a 5-2 record against Baylor dating back to 2006, although the most notable matchup between the two schools was a resounding Bears victory in the 2021 national championship after Gonzaga ran out of gas following an overtime win over UCLA in the Final Four.

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