Amidst a tumultuous offseason of roster-building chaos, Mark Few and the Gonzaga coaching staff have also been putting together the program’s first non-conference schedule as members of the Pac-12.
With the Pac-12 regular season set to consist of 16 games, Gonzaga has up to 16 non-conference matchups – and as many as four exhibitions – they are allowed to schedule for 2026-27.
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While GU’s known matchups feature many of the highest-profile programs in the sport, the latest addition to Gonzaga’s non-con slate looks a tad different.
Eastern Oregon University, which competes in the Cascade Collegiate Conference at the NAIA level, released its schedule, which includes a trip to Spokane to take on Few and the Zags on Wednesday, Dec. 2.
The game is expected to be played at the McCarthey Athletic Center, and a tip-off time has yet to be revealed. The matchup is listed as an exhibition game on EOU’s website, but it is unclear as of this writing whether it will be an exhibition or a standard non-conference game for Gonzaga.
Meet the Mountaineers
Dec 28, 2022; Spokane, Washington, USA; Eastern Oregon Mountaineers head coach Chris Kemp. | USA TODAY Sports
Eastern Oregon and Gonzaga have squared off twice in the last half-decade, both in Spokane and both massive, blowout victories for the Zags. Located in La Grande, OR, about 250 miles south of Spokane, it’s a relatively easy game to get on the schedule for Gonzaga and represents the only D1 opponent of the season for the Mountaineers.
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Gonzaga last played Eastern Oregon on Nov. 14, 2023, securing a 123-57 victory behind 25 points from Graham Ike on 9-10 shooting, as well as 23 points on 10-12 shooting in just 14 minutes for Braden Huff, and 20 points on 8-10 shooting from Anton Watson.
The game also included the lone blocked shot of Joe Few’s college career – with the walk-on also setting career-highs in minutes (14), points (3) and steals (3).
The 66-point margin of victory is actually the closest between these two teams, as the previous matchup from Dec. 28, 2022, was an absurd 78-point margin, with a final score of 120-42 in favor of the Zags.
Seven Gonzaga players finished in double figures that night, led by 18 points on 8-10 shooting from Drew Timme, as well as 16 from Efton Reid, 14 from Rasir Bolton, and 13 each from Anton Watson and Nolan Hickman.
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While this year’s matchup could look similar, it’s worth noting the Mountaineers were quite good last year – finishing 22-9 overall and 16-4 in CCC play, losing in the NAIA tournament second round to No. 9-ranked Langston.
Non-con coming together
Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo, center, assistant coach Doug Wojcik, left. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
EOU may not be a powerhouse opponent for Gonzaga, but they’ll represent a nice tuneup between the Player’s Era Festival in Las Vegas (scheduled for Nov. 24-27) and a trip to Anaheim to take on the UCLA Bruins on Dec. 5.
In addition to those matchups, Gonzaga has a bevy of high profile opponents on the docket – including Purdue on Nov. 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, LSU on Nov. 14 at the Spokane Arena, Creighton on the road on Dec. 12), Michigan State at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, CA on Dec. 19, and finally the Duke Blue Devils at Little Caesar’s Arena in Detroit, MI on Feb. 20.
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New Mexico State on Nov. 7 is the only other known game for Gonzaga at this time and is expected to be the team’s home opener.
That means if EOU ends up being one of Gonzaga’s 16 non-con games, the Zags will still have five games left to schedule. And if it ends up being an exhibition game, it will be the second one scheduled for Gonzaga, following a reported trip to Arkansas to face John Calipari and the Razorbacks at Bud Walton Arena.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/gonzaga as Gonzaga adds intriguing December matchup to 2026-27 schedule.
