In a conversation with Tim Staudt on The Game 730 AM in East Lansing, Michigan, Michigan State Spartans coach Tom Izzo stated that he has scheduled a non-conference matchup with coach Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs for the 2026-27 season. No date or official location is set, but the game will reportedly be played somewhere in California.
Here is how Gonzaga’s potential 2026-27 non-conference schedule looks, with not all dates/locations/times finalized:
vs. Purdue Boilermakers (Nov. 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada)
at Kentucky Wildcats (Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky)
vs. UCLA Bruins (To be determined)
vs. Oregon Ducks (Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington)
at Creighton Bluejays (Chi Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska)
vs. Michigan State Spartans (California)
Players Era Festival (MGM Grand Garden Arena/Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada)
The matchup with the Big Ten Conference’s Oregon Ducks is on the fence, either taking place in the 2026-27 or 2027-28 season.
Of course, a few buy games with low-major programs will be sprinkled in to balance out the tough schedule. Of the 32 total games to be played in 2026-27, the NCAA will allow a total of 16 non-conference opponents starting next season.
The Zags officially enter the Pac-12 Conference on July 1, 2026. That will include 16 regular-season conference games with the likes of the San Diego State Aztecs, Utah State Aggies, Boise State Broncos, Colorado State Rams, Washington State Cougars, Oregon State Beavers, Fresno State Bulldogs, and Texas State Bobcats, two times each. Once on the road and the other at home at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington, with each school.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho
