Gonzaga's move to the Pac-12 didn't make its schedule any easier

The Zags landed among the nation's 10 toughest non-conference schedules, according to Andy Katz

Gonzaga Bulldogs assistant coaches Brian Michaelson (left), Stephen Gentry (middle) and head coach Mark Few (right). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have never been afraid of a challenge. Even before becoming a household name, Gonzaga scheduled up as often as possible - doing whatever it could to prepare for an inevitable NCAA Tournament run.

That mantra has not changed in Spokane, even with the program now established among the best in the nation, and in a Pac-12 conference that should provide more Quad 1 and Quad 2 opportunities in league play.

College Basketball reporter Andy Katz recently ranked the 10 best non-conference schedules heading into the 2026-27 season and Gonzaga came in at No. 6, behind UConn, Duke, Michigan State, Illinois, and Arkansas.

Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, and Texas Tech round out the top ten.

They want all the smoke 💨@TheAndyKatz ranks the 🔟 toughest non-conference schedules for the 2025-26 season 🗓️ pic.twitter.com/zd0OKa9tD8

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) September 18, 2026

The calendar is rapidly approaching fall and still Gonzaga doesn't know who all will get to suit up this season. Returning stars Davis Fogle and Braden Huff will be flanked by Arizona State transfer Massamba Diop and Houston transfer Isiah Harwell, as well as incoming freshmen Luca Foster and Sam Funches, but there are five players on the roster who are currently in eligibility limbo with the NCAA in Xaivian Lee, Chauncey Wiggins, Javon Bennett, Izan Almansa, and Nathan de Sousa.

A brutal test awaits Gonzaga

Even if those players are cleared on opening night, Gonzaga won't have had much time together as a team to prepare for what is another gauntlet non-con slate - starting with the Purdue Boilermakers on Monday, Nov. 2, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Gonzaga players Braden Huff (34) and Davis Fogle (4). | Photo by Mercedes Smith

Gonzaga will also face another roster in flux in LSU on Nov. 14 at the Spokane Arena, before what should be a very fun trio of games back in Vegas for the Player's Era Festival, starting with Kansas State on Nov. 24. Gonzaga will either play Baylor or Alabama on Nov. 26, and then one of Creighton, TCU, Miami, or defending champion Michigan on Nov. 27.

December brings even more electric opportunities for Few and the Zags, including a seventh straight season squaring off against UCLA - set for Dec. 5 at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

Then the Zags play their lone true road game - Dec. 12 in Omaha against Creighton - before another trip to California to take on Tom Izzo and Michigan State on Dec. 19 at the Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs.

Lastly, Gonzaga has a pair of non-con games scheduled in 2027, including the Battle in Seattle against the Oregon Ducks on Jan. 30 and a massive contest against the Duke Blue Devils on Feb. 20 in Detroit.

Duke and Michigan State are two of the four teams ahead of Gonzaga on Katz's list. Another, Arkansas, is set to host Gonzaga on Oct. 25 in an exhibition game at Bud Walton Arena as well.

Nov 20, 2022; Spokane, Washington, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari, left, shakes hands with Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few | USA TODAY Sports

Why Gonzaga keeps scheduling this way

Gonzaga is used to loading up on non-conference games in order to build enough quad 1 and quad 2 games to mitigate the lack of challenging contests in WCC play. That should improve in the new-look Pac-12, where teams like Utah State and San Diego State should provide high-level, NCAA Tournament-caliber competition.

Plus, even with a few weaker teams in the league, there won't be as many stumbling blocks as there were in the WCC - further preparing this team for a deep March run.