Ranking Gonzaga's 13 known non-conference opponents from easiest to toughest

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have never shied away from scheduling difficult matchups in the non-conference, and that has not changed even with the program's move to the Pac-12.

Ten of Gonzaga's 15 scheduled games will come against power conference opponents, and it seems very likely at least four of those opponents will be ranked in the top 25 - if not more.

Opponents are not known for Gonzaga's second and third games in the Player's Era Festival, and they could play a fourth game if they start 3-0, which is why the schedule feels complete at 15 games, despite 16 being the maximum allowed.

Below is a look at the 13 known opponents for Gonzaga, ranked in descending order of projected difficulty for the Zags in the 2026-27 season:

13. Eastern Oregon Mountaineers (Dec. 2, 2026)

Nov 14, 2023; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34) shoots the ball against Eastern Oregon Mountaineers forward Brennen Newsom (1) | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Eastern Oregon is the only non-D1 school on Gonzaga's schedule, making them an easy choice for the bottom of this list. The NAIA program lost to the Zags by 66 and 78 points in the last two matchups, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see a similar result this time around.

12. Incarnate Word Cardinals (Nov. 10 or 11, 2026)

Dec 10, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Incarnate Word Cardinals head coach Shane Heirman (right) talks to guard Jalin Anderson (1) | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga's second home game of the season is a buy game against Incarnate Word out of the Southland. The Cardinals have been D1 since 2013 but have had just one winning season since 2016, and have finished outside the top 250 at KenPom nine of the last ten years.

11. New Mexico State Aggies (Nov. 7, 2026)

NMSU’s head men’s basketball coach Jason Hooten guides his team during a game against UTEP at the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Once the cream of the crop in the WAC, New Mexico State has really struggled since moving to Conference USA three years ago. The Aggies will be Gonzaga's first home opponent of the season, and should give the team an opportunity to work out any kinks from the season opener against Purdue.

10. Cornell Big Red (Dec. 31, 2026)

Dec 29, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Cornell Big Red head coach Jon Jaques | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga will close out 2026 at home against Cornell out of the Ivy League, two programs that have never faced each other.

Big Red is typically a decent mid-major squad, finishing between 103-193 at KenPom each of the last five seasons, making this a quality opponent to finish out the year and head into Pac-12 play.

9. Montana State Bobcats (Nov. 17, 2026)

Mar 20, 2024; Dayton, OH, USA; Montana State Bobcats head coach Matt Logie reacts in the second half against the Grambling State Tigers at UD Arena. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga and Montana State will meet for the first time since 1997, in what will be the team's final game before heading to Las Vegas for the Player's Era Festival.

The Bobcats went 18-14 last year and finished second in the Big Sky under Matt Logie, and will give the Zags a solid test on short rest after facing LSU at the Spokane Arena.

8. Kansas State Wildcats (Nov. 24, 2026)

Gonzaga opens up the Player's Era Festival against Kansas State out of the Big 12. The Wildcats hired Casey Alexander from Belmont after moving on from Jerome Tang, and this roster looks like it will struggle to compete in 2026-27.

However, Alexander has often done more with less in his career, so this isn't a team to overlook for the Zags down in the desert.

A win for Gonzaga would put them against the winner between Baylor and Alabama, two teams that could easily be in the top 25 for that matchup on Nov. 26.

7. Creighton Bluejays (Dec. 12, 2026)

Feb 28, 2026; Omaha, Nebraska, USA; Creighton Bluejays guard Hudson Greer (10) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga thumped Creighton at the Kennel last year, winning by 27 points in what ended up becoming a disappointing final season for head coach Greg McDermott.

Now the Zags will head to Omaha to face new coach Alan Huss and the Bluejays on the road, the lone true road game of the non-con slate for Gonzaga.

Creighton has a lot of nice pieces both coming in and returning, and Huss had plenty of success as the head coach at High Point before making his way to Omaha, so this is certainly a game Gonzaga will have to be ready for.

6. Oregon Ducks (Jan. 30, 2027)

Mar 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Oregon Ducks forward Sean Stewart (13) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga and Oregon played at the Moda Center last year in what was the first meeting outside of an MTE between these two programs in over 40 years. Gonzaga won by nine, and now will 'host' Oregon at Climate Pledge Arena for a very late Battle in Seattle.

Oregon has an entirely rebuilt roster and should be better than last year's disappointing performance, giving Gonzaga a quality non-conference opponent in the midst of Pac-12 play.

5. LSU Tigers (Nov. 14, 2026)

Mar 22, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; St. John's Red Storm guard RJ Luis Jr. (12) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga has made a habit of scheduling marquee SEC opponents at the Spokane Arena, now taking on LSU after recent bouts against Oklahoma and Kentucky.

This will be the first-ever game between the Zags and Tigers, and projecting how good LSU will be this year is incredibly difficult without knowing who will be eligible. Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark from UCLA are both eligible for now, along with former St. John's guard RJ Luis, but all of that could change between now and mid-November, when this game is scheduled to tip.

Either way, Will Wade is a solid coach and this should be at least a decent squad, if not one of the better opponents for Gonzaga in the non-conference.

4. UCLA Bruins (Dec. 5, 2026)

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (0) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For the seventh year in a row, Mark Few and Mick Cronin will square off, with this year's matchup taking place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA.

Gonzaga beat UCLA in Seattle by ten last year, but UCLA did snag a win over the Zags the previous year. This should be another tough, physical showdown between two elite West Coast programs with arguably the most contrasting styles in the country.

3. Purdue Boilermakers (Nov. 2, 2026)

Mar 26, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Omer Mayer (17) dribbles past Texas Longhorns guard Jordan Pope (0) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the West Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga opens up the season against Purdue at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, part of a double-header that also includes Arizona vs. UCLA.

Gonzaga is 0-5 all-time against the Boilers, but this year's team is without the superstar trio of Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn. CJ Cox, Omer Mayer, and Daniel Jacobsen give coach Matt Painter a very solid core, however, and there's no doubt this will be among Gonzaga's most difficult games of the season - especially with it coming at the start of the campaign.

2. Michigan State Spartans (Dec. 19, 206)

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA;Michigan State Spartans forward Coen Carr (55) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga and Michigan State will meet in Palm Springs, CA, for the Hall of Fame series, adding another chapter to what has become a fun non-conference rivalry between two longtime friends and now active HOFers.

Michigan State will begin the season ranked inside the top ten after returning guard Jeremy Fears and forward Coen Carr, making this easily the second toughest game on the calendar for the Zags.

1. Duke Blue Devils (Feb. 20, 2027)

Mar 29, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Dame Sarr (7) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's always a party when Gonzaga and Duke meet, and this year it will take place far, far later than usual. The Blue Devils and Zags are set to square off in Detroit on Feb. 20, 2027, just a few short weeks before Selection Sunday and the start of the NCAA Tournament.

This game is part of a deal between Duke and Amazon, and is one of the most anticipated non-conference matchups of the entire college basketball season - and a real chance for the Zags to boost their resume just before the Big Dance.

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