Gonzaga draws Big 12 opponent in Players Era Festival opener

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs will participate in the third annual Players Era Festival this November, and their first-round opponent was revealed on Thursday.

This year’s event has been split into two distinct brackets, an eight-teamer taking place Nov. 17-19, and a 16-teamer going on Nov. 24-28. Gonzaga is in the 16-team bracket and will face Big 12 opponent Kansas State in their first game on Nov. 24. The time of the game is still to be determined, and it will be played in Las Vegas at either T-Mobile Arena or Michelob Ultra Arena.

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Gonzaga will then play either Baylor or Alabama in their second game on Nov. 26, and then one of Michigan, Creighton, TCU, or Miami in their third game on Nov. 27.

Should the Zags advance to the championship, they would play a fourth game on Nov. 28.

Last year, Gonzaga did advance to the championship of the smaller 18-team field, after defeating Alabama and Maryland in their first two games. They squared off against Michigan in that title game and were beaten badly, suffering a 40-point loss to the eventual national champions.

Maryland will play Tennessee, while San Diego State will take on Iowa State, St. John’s will face Oregon, and Louisville will face Texas Tech in the other games in Gonzaga’s bracket.

Gonzaga vs. Kansas State

Gonzaga is 1-2 all-time against Kansas State, first playing them in Nov. 2020 in Kansas City in what was an 81-64 loss. The Zags then hosted them at the Battle in Seattle in 2012, securing a 68-52 win in what was a big breakout game for All-American Kelly Olynyk.

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The Wildcats won the rubber match in 2013, 72-62, at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita.

Kansas State fired head coach Jerome Tang toward the end of last season, ending a nearly four-year tenure that started with the Wildcats making the Elite Eight and ended with back-to-back losing seasons – despite significant NIL contributions.

K-State hired longtime Belmont head coach Casey Alexander – who won 20+ games in ten straight years – to take…

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Publish date : 2026-05-21 23:57:00

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