Gonzaga and San Francisco will play at Golden State Warriors arena in March

Bulldogs and Dons will meet at the Chase Center for second season in a row

March 11, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco Dons guard Marcus Williams (55) dribbles the basketball against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Nolan Hickman (11) during the first half in the semifinals of the WCC Basketball Championship at Orleans Arena. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

A West Coast Conference showdown between Gonzaga and San Francisco is set for March 1 at the Chase Center in San Francisco, California, the venue announced on Wednesday. Game times and broadcast details will be announced at a later date.

The Bulldogs, while in the middle of finalizing the 2024-25 nonconference schedule, are now set to return to the home of the Golden State Warriors for the third time in the last four seasons. The first trip to the Bay Area ended Mark Few and company’s 2021-22 campaign with a loss to Arkansas in the Sweet 16. Last season, the Zags pulled away for an 86-68 win over the Dons at the Chase Center nearly two years after the Razorbacks game.

Gonzaga, coming off its ninth straight Sweet 16, returned seven of its top eight rotational players from last season, including All-WCC players Ryan Nembhard, Nolan Hickman and Graham Ike. Few and the coaching staff diversified the roster by bringing in 6-foot-7 Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi, who was also All-WCC last season, as well as 6-foot-5 Arkansas grad transfer Khalif Battle and 6-foot-5 Tarleton State transfer Emmanuel Innocenti. Braeden Smith, the reigning Patriot League Player of the Year, joins the ranks as well after transferring from Colgate, though he’s set to redshirt the 2024-25 season.

San Francisco, entering year three under head coach Chris Gerlufsen, lost Jonathan Mogbo to the NBA but still brought back seven players from last season’s 23-11 squad. All-WCC guards Marcus Williams and Malik Thomas returned to The Hilltop, along with 6-foot-7 forward Ndewedo Newbury and WCC Freshman of the Year, 5-foot-11 guard Ryan Beasley. UTSA transfer Carlton Linguard Jr. and Vanderbilt transfer Jason Rivera-Torres headline the Dons’ offseason additions.

Given last season’s matchup at the Chase Center was deemed a “neutral site” game for both teams in the NET Rankings, there’s reason to think the 2024-25 matchup would be deemed a neutral site game as well. The Chase Center is also the sixth neutral site venue the Bulldogs will visit during the 2024-25 regular season: Imperial Arena (Battle 4 Atlantis, Nov. 27-29), Climate Pledge Arena (vs. Kentucky, Dec. 7), Madison Square Garden (vs. UConn, Dec. 14) and the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California (vs. UCLA, Dec. 28). Gonzaga is also working on arranging a matchup with Baylor, presumably on a neutral site.

Gonzaga has won the last 30 head-to-head matchups with San Francisco, which hasn't bested its WCC rival since 2012. The Bulldogs downed the Dons, 89-77, in the semifinal round of the WCC Tournament in Las Vegas.

In addition to the March 1 game, the Chase Center will host the USF Legacy Doubleheader on Nov. 21, which is set to feature the San Francisco's women's basketball team taking on Boise State, followed by the men's team hosting Memphis, as well as the West Regional round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament from March 27-29.

Tickets for the Bulldogs-Dons game go on sale to the general public on Sept. 25 at 10 a.m at chasecenter.com.