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.

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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.

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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…

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Publish date : 2026-09-09 00:24:00

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