Washington skips the last two games of the men’s basketball series against Gonzaga

The final two games of the men’s basketball series between Gonzaga and Washington are no longer on the schedule, confirmed GU athletic director Chris Standiford.

When GU and UW’s 2021-22 meeting was canceled due to COVID, the schools decided to extend their set of four games with an annual game through the 2025-26 season.

The contract contained a clause that allowed any team to opt out in the event of a coaching change, and the Huskies decided to “make use of that clause,” Standiford said.

Washington was scheduled to visit Gonzaga at the Kennel this season — one of the highlights of the well-known games on GU’s home schedule — for the third game of the series, with a return match the following year at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports was the first to report that the Gonzaga-Washington game this season was canceled.

Washington made a coaching change after last season, replacing Mike Hopkins, who has one year left on his contract, with former Utah State coach Danny Sprinkle. Hopkins finished 118-106 and made just one NCAA tournament appearance in seven seasons. Washington was 17-15 overall last season and 9-11 in the Pac-12.

“It makes sense to me to go into a new league (the Big Ten) with a new coach and new playing philosophies,” Standiford said, stressing that he did not know the exact reasons behind UW’s decision. “Hopefully we can do something again in the near future.”

Gonzaga had dominated the series, winning seven straight games and 14 of the last 15 before Washington overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to win 78-73 in front of 9,294 fans at Alaska Airlines Arena last December. GU won the previous meeting 77-60 in December 2022 at McCarthey Athletic Center – its fifth double-digit victory during the seven-game winning streak.

Gonzaga, which was ranked as a top-five team in numerous preseason polls, has not yet announced its full non-conference schedule but has several top games on the schedule. The Zags will visit San Diego State and face Kentucky at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, UCLA at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles and two-time defending national champion UConn at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

GU also has three games at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas, which features eight teams including Arizona, Indiana and Providence.

Standiford expressed hope that Gonzaga could add an attractive opponent to its home schedule this year to replace Washington.

Gonzaga will play 18 West Coast Conference games in 2024-25 when Washington State and Oregon State join. The Huskies join the Big Ten and have a 20-game conference schedule ahead.