Jun. 21—The ultimate two video games of the Gonzaga-Washington males’s basketball sequence are not on the schedule, GU Athletic Director Chris Standiford confirmed.
When the GU-UW matchup was canceled within the 2021-22 season attributable to COVID, the faculties elected to increase their four-game set with an annual recreation by way of the 2025-26 season.
The contract included a clause that if there was a training change both workforce may choose out and the Huskies selected to “train that clause,” Standiford stated.
Washington was scheduled to go to Gonzaga within the Kennel this season — one of many highlights of the recognized video games on GU’s residence slate — for the third recreation of the sequence with a return recreation the next yr at Alaska Airways Area in Seattle. CBS Sports activities’ Jon Rothstein was the primary to report that the Gonzaga-Washington recreation this season was off.
Washington made a training change after final season, changing Mike Hopkins, who had one yr left on his contract, with former Utah State coach Danny Sprinkle. Hopkins completed 118-106 with one NCAA Event look in seven seasons. Washington was 17-15 total, Sept. 11 within the Pac-12, final season.
“It is sensible to me with a brand new coach, going into a brand new league (the Large Ten) and scheduling philosophies,” stated Standiford, stressing he did not know the precise causes for UW’s determination. “Hopefully, we will do one thing once more within the close to future.”
Gonzaga had dominated the sequence, successful seven straight and 14 of the previous 15 earlier than Washington rallied from an 11-point second-half deficit for a 78-73 victory in entrance of 9,294 final December at Alaska Airways Area. GU received the earlier assembly 77-60 — its fifth double-digit win through the seven-game successful streak — in December 2022 on the McCarthey Athletic Middle.
Gonzaga, projected as a top-five workforce in quite a few preseason polls, hasn’t introduced its full nonconference schedule, but it surely has a number of marquee matchups. The Zags will go to San Diego State they usually’re set to face Kentucky at Local weather Pledge Area in Seattle, UCLA on the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and two-time defending nationwide champion UConn at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York Metropolis.
GU additionally has three video games on the Battle 4 Atlantis within the Bahamas in an eight-team subject that features Arizona, Indiana and Windfall.
Standiford stated he is hopeful Gonzaga would add a gorgeous opponent to exchange Washington on this yr’s residence schedule.
Gonzaga will play 18 West Coast Convention video games with the addition of Washington State and Oregon State in 2024-25. The Huskies are becoming a member of the Large Ten and face a 20-game convention schedule.