2020-21 Scheduling

[CB4]

Zags will play UW and Arizona in the Kennel next year.

Zags will play three games at the Orlando Tournament (Field: Auburn/Belmont/Boise State/Michigan State/Saint Louis/Siena/Xavier).

I'm hoping we get a neutral site game and a home/home series against a Big 10, SEC, ACC or Big East.

I'm hoping we can see a game or series with SDSU. Perhaps one with Dayton, too.

Zags seem to be consistent in scheduling games with Texas teams, do we see a renewal of the A&M series, maybe games with Houston or Baylor?

After that, I hope we get no more than 6 buy games. I'd love to see a couple non-conference games (MWC/AAC/A10) in January and February as well, but doubtful.

Who do you hope/think/speculate the Zags will play next season?

[Mr Vulture]

Zags will play UW and Arizona in the Kennel next year.

Zags will play three games at the Orlando Tournament (Field: Auburn/Belmont/Boise State/Michigan State/Saint Louis/Siena/Xavier).

I'm hoping we get a neutral site game and a home/home series against a Big 10, SEC, ACC or Big East.

I'm hoping we can see a game or series with SDSU. Perhaps one with Dayton, too.

Zags seem to be consistent in scheduling games with Texas teams, do we see a renewal of the A&M series, maybe games with Houston or Baylor?

After that, I hope we get no more than 6 buy games. I'd love to see a couple non-conference games (MWC/AAC/A10) in January and February as well, but doubtful.

Who do you hope/think/speculate the Zags will play next season?

Teams that I'd like to see home/home series with would Villanova, Xavier, and Kansas. Although unlikely, those are teams that would be a challenge and not kill you if you lost. Perhaps Kentucky or Louisville as other teams I'd like to see. I agree on a SD State series as well. No way I see them playing Boise State if Rice is there.

[Zagdawg]

If things go well with the virus between now and year end -- I would love to see the NCAA coordinate a tournament with the top 4-8 teams that would have been dancing in the tournament this year (early December timeframe).

[Bogozags]

First GREAT thread!

I'd like to see GU do a home and home with at least five of these schools: UCLA, ASU, CO, SDSU, UL, UM, TT, WVU, OU, UT, Baylor, TCU, A&M, UL, ND, UVA, FSU, IU, PSU, MD and/or UK.

GU will be awesome and it is too bad we can only play with one ball! (That is if Ayayi returns)

Can our freshman quickly adapt to D1 type defence and quickness...

[sittingon50]

Not sure about Houston, CB. Only conjecture on my part (& someone feel free to correct me) but I'm guessing Few may have some issues with Sampson from his days at WSU.

[Marconi]

I think San Diego St. is a natural fit for us just for the simple fact of proximity and would make a great home and home series for years to come. My only concern is they are not consistently good year in and year out. This year they had the benefit of some great transfers but their recruiting pipeline is pretty bare.

[strikenowhere]

Rothstein reporting neutral site vs. Texas Tech


Jon Rothstein
@JonRothstein
·
2m
Sources: Texas Tech and Gonzaga will play a neutral site game in Phoenix on December 19th, 2020.

[GoZags]

Next season the Zags will still be a year away from "re-starting" the Battle in Seattle, in the "new" Seattle Center Arena.

Things have changed with Gonzaga's program since the "Battle in Seattle" has been on sabbatical (i.e. Gonzaga is now a truly elite Men's Basketball program).

The format moving forward will stay the same vis a vis games with high profile opponents being semi "home and home". i.e. neutral/neutral. In the past some of Gonzaga's "return" games have been in neutral NBA/NHL arenas .... Boston for the UConn game, Chicago for the Illinois game, Phoenix for the Arizona game, Wichita (not an NBA/NHL arena) for the Kansas State game, Nashville (an NHL arena) for the Tennessee game.

As we move ahead, the "Battle in Seattle" will be a cornerstone for very, very high profile, OOC games.

Man, am I looking forward to it !!!

[StatZag19]

Sources: Texas Tech and Gonzaga will play a neutral site game in Phoenix on December 19th, 2020.

Obligatory $#@& Texas Tech

[GonzaGAW]

- based only upon this years final net rankings (in parenthesis) next years orlando bracket would be.......

- zags (1) the one seed playing sienna (151), then the winner of xavier (47) and st. louis (49)
- msu (7) the two seed playing belmont (101), then the winner of auburn (27) and boise st (91).

- early possible wins over xavier, then msu or auburn would give early justification for our pre season number one ranking.

[GonzaGAW]

- i'd like to see home/home series with ou, the ducks are going to be good pretty much year in and year out, and being on west coast, somewhat of a recruiting rival.
- i'd like to see home/home series with big east teams, rotate from butler, to xavier, to villinova. push come to shove 5 10 years from now and conference affiliations are again blown up, maybe these series will be a paving path to gonzaga being part of a new re organized big east.

[CB4]

Another idea:

Zags should host their first exhibition game every year in the Kennel against the prior year's national champion of the Canadian university basketball league. Televise the game on ESPN/CBS Sports and Canadian national sports television, give the annual game a marketing name like the "CAN-AM BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP," and use it to get another game on national TV, and increase their recruiting reach to an increasingly fertile recruiting base (Canada/Ontario Province).

Problem is that this would be one of the toughest games of the year and likely the first match up new Zag teams would face. But the marketing potential in Canada would be excellent and, at the end of the day, it'd be an exhibition game that doesn't count for NET or other rankings.

The precedent is there, as the Zags played Olynyk's dad's school in an exhibition game the year after Kelly left.

[Zagdawg]

Give em a call -- we are a "Large" opponent perennially


Dayton Basketball
@DaytonMBB
· 2h
Dayton is looking to start a series at HOME with a perennial at-large opponent. The potential dates are Nov 13/14, Nov 28/29, and Dec 11/12/13.

Please contact James Haring at jharing1@udayton.edu with interest

[Hoopaholic]

Give em a call -- we are a "Large" opponent perennially


Dayton Basketball
@DaytonMBB
· 2h
Dayton is looking to start a series at HOME with a perennial at-large opponent. The potential dates are Nov 13/14, Nov 28/29, and Dec 11/12/13.

Please contact James Haring at jharing1@udayton.edu with interest

DO IT

[CCHoops]

From Tennessee's Rivals site:

"Tennessee is deep in to talks with Gonzaga to put together a home-and-home series with the Zags as Rick Barnes remains committed to playing a demanding non-conference schedule. Barnes and Few have faced off three times in the last 5 years, all at neutral sites. The upcoming series is expected to take place in Knoxville and Spokane when finalized. The Vols already have a trip to Wisconsin on the docket in 2020-21, along with a home game against Cincinnati and another in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, which could see Kansas return the trip Tennessee made to Allen Fieldhouse in January, with Kentucky already facing the Jayhawks in the Champions Classic and Tennessee appearing as a top 15 caliber team and the SEC's second most desirous opponent in most preseason rankings. The Vols will also play neutral site games against Maryland (@ Madison Square Garden), Memphis (@ Bridgestone Arena) and 3 games in a Charleston Classic field that includes Florida State, VCU, Houston, Oklahoma State, Seton Hall and Penn State."

Seems like adding Gonzaga to that slate would almost be too much but Barnes/Few clearly like playing each other. Do we think this could start in 2021-22 rather than this upcoming season?

[CB4]

From Tennessee's Rivals site:

"Tennessee is deep in to talks with Gonzaga to put together a home-and-home series with the Zags as Rick Barnes remains committed to playing a demanding non-conference schedule. Barnes and Few have faced off three times in the last 5 years, all at neutral sites. The upcoming series is expected to take place in Knoxville and Spokane when finalized. The Vols already have a trip to Wisconsin on the docket in 2020-21, along with a home game against Cincinnati and another in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge, which could see Kansas return the trip Tennessee made to Allen Fieldhouse in January, with Kentucky already facing the Jayhawks in the Champions Classic and Tennessee appearing as a top 15 caliber team and the SEC's second most desirous opponent in most preseason rankings. The Vols will also play neutral site games against Maryland (@ Madison Square Garden), Memphis (@ Bridgestone Arena) and 3 games in a Charleston Classic field that includes Florida State, VCU, Houston, Oklahoma State, Seton Hall and Penn State."

Seems like adding Gonzaga to that slate would almost be too much but Barnes/Few clearly like playing each other. Do we think this could start in 2021-22 rather than this upcoming season?

This could work next year, as the Zags don't have yet have a true non-conference road game scheduled yet in 2020-21 season.

[Bogozags]

Another idea:

Zags should host their first exhibition game every year in the Kennel against the prior year's national champion of the Canadian university basketball league. Televise the game on ESPN/CBS Sports and Canadian national sports television, give the annual game a marketing name like the "CAN-AM BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP," and use it to get another game on national TV, and increase their recruiting reach to an increasingly fertile recruiting base (Canada/Ontario Province).

Problem is that this would be one of the toughest games of the year and likely the first match up new Zag teams would face. But the marketing potential in Canada would be excellent and, at the end of the day, it'd be an exhibition game that doesn't count for NET or other rankings.

The precedent is there, as the Zags played Olynyk's dad's school in an exhibition game the year after Kelly left.

THIS is an excellent marketing idea and as CB4 stated great for CAN-AM Basketball too...one would think that GU would latch on to this idea as it sure appears to be a win-win situation...

[basketballzag]

I would like to see Gonzaga schedule Tulane or LSU due to the large number of Zag alumni in New Orleans.

[CB4]

THIS is an excellent marketing idea and as CB4 stated great for CAN-AM Basketball too...one would think that GU would latch on to this idea as it sure appears to be a win-win situation...

The Canadian networks would love a game like this and would likely send their top broadcasting crew. Worst case, they pick up the simulcast from ESPN. Problem is, Zags would lose some of these games. The Canadian perennial champion (Carlton University/national champion in 15 out of the last 18 seasons) routinely beats up on NCAA power conference teams in preseason tournaments in August. They have the benefit of being able to practice year round with their coach, so some of the NCAA teams aren't as prepped in the preseason tournaments, but wins are wins. Nevertheless, an internationally televised match up like this would be good for fans in the USA and Canada, and well worth it to reach a Canadian audience and make "NCAA college basketball" synonymous with "Gonzaga" for many of the young basketball players in that country who dream of playing in March Madness.

Send it to Roth! Problem is, another school like Syracuse or someone with a more savvy and creative marketing team will likely do this way before Gonzaga even considers it. Between the WCC television deal and IMG's (mis)management of the Gonzaga portfolio (in this poster's opinion), I don't think the program has any capacity to step outside the box on these types of deals.

[LTownZag]

I would like to see Gonzaga schedule Tulane or LSU due to the large number of Zag alumni in New Orleans.

What's the Washington/Louisiana connection? Do lots of (Catholic?)students come to GU from the New Orleans area? Is there some kind of relationship with other universities or companies there? Will Wade (LSU coach) is the anti-few. Corrupt to the core.

[MDABE80]

Canadian game sounds terrific! Great idea CB4! It’ll happen in the future anyway. Why not now?

[TexasZagFan]

Canadian game sounds terrific! Great idea CB4! It’ll happen in the future anyway. Why not now?

Tie it into the Coaches against Cancer series, that would likely bring Few into the picture.

[bigblahla]

Another idea:

Zags should host their first exhibition game every year in the Kennel against the prior year's national champion of the Canadian university basketball league. Televise the game on ESPN/CBS Sports and Canadian national sports television, give the annual game a marketing name like the "CAN-AM BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP," and use it to get another game on national TV, and increase their recruiting reach to an increasingly fertile recruiting base (Canada/Ontario Province).

Problem is that this would be one of the toughest games of the year and likely the first match up new Zag teams would face. But the marketing potential in Canada would be excellent and, at the end of the day, it'd be an exhibition game that doesn't count for NET or other rankings.

The precedent is there, as the Zags played Olynyk's dad's school in an exhibition game the year after Kelly left.

Outstanding idea... who do I call to make it happen?

Go!! Zags!!!

[CB4]

Outstanding idea... who do I call to make it happen?

Go!! Zags!!!

Call Olynyk's dad or Triano's dad or Pango's dad and see if they can put you in touch with the big wigs at the Canadian university athletics association USport. All are connected. Olynyk's dad is an athletic director of a university in the league, Pango's dad is a former head basketball coach in the league, Triano's dad is one of the most influential people in Canadian basketball.

[basketballzag]

What's the Washington/Louisiana connection? Do lots of (Catholic?)students come to GU from the New Orleans area? Is there some kind of relationship with other universities or companies there? Will Wade (LSU coach) is the anti-few. Corrupt to the core.

Southeast Louisiana is very catholic and it has attracted a lot of alumni over the last 30 years from Gonzaga. New Orleans has a very sizable legal community who are Uber wealthy under the radar alumni who are untapped super high dollar alumni living there. UNO or Tulane if we don’t want to see Mark Few beat the brains out of the corrupt Will Wade.