Gonzaga sets New Years Eve non-conference showdown with Ivy League school

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are putting the finishing touches on their first non-conference schedule as members of the new look Pac-12.

With multiple high profile neutral site matchups already on the docket, the focus now is on finding opponents willing to come play the Zags at the McCarthey Athletic Center. In the past week alone three new home games have been reported for Gonzaga, with Rocco Miller of Bracketeer.org reporting the Cornell Big Red of the Ivy League will travel to Spokane to take on the Zags this New Year’s Eve.

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The time of the game has yet to be announced for this Thursday night showdown, which very well could be the final non-conference game before Pac-12 action begins.

Meet Big Red

Dec 29, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Kaleb Glenn (8) battles for a rebound with Cornell Big Red guard Adam Hinton (8) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Gonzaga and Cornell have never played each other, with Big Red joining the LSU Tigers as first time opponents for the Zags in this year’s non-con slate.

Cornell had a brief run of success from 2007-2010 under coach Steve Donahue, making the NCAA Tournament three straight years and even making the Sweet 16 in 2010 before falling, 62-45, to No. 1 seed Kentucky.

Those are three of just four appearances for Cornell in the Big Dance since 1955, as they have struggled to compete with Harvard, Yale, and Princeton in the Ivy League.

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Last year’s squad went 15-13 under coach Jon Jaques, finishing 8-6 in conference play despite going 4-2 against Yale, Prince, and Harvard in the regular season. Big Red lost to Yale, 88-76, in the first round of the Ivy League Tournament.

Updated Non-Conference Slate

Michigan State’s head coach Tom Izzo, left, greets UCLA’s head coach Mick Cronin after the game on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Cornell joins New Mexico State (Nov. 7), Montana State (Nov. 17), and Eastern Oregon…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/gonzaga-sets-years-eve-non-212649998.html

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Publish date : 2026-08-22 21:26:00

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