Gonzaga is set to dominate national television screens with 17 appearances throughout the regular 2025-26 basketball season, making it one of the most-watched teams this year. But here's where it gets really interesting—this extensive coverage highlights the growing prominence and media demand for Gonzaga basketball.
On Friday morning, more detailed information about Gonzaga's upcoming basketball schedule was released, revealing tipoff times and national as well as local TV coverage for both their nonconference and West Coast Conference (WCC) games. The WCC unveiled the full national broadcast schedule, confirming TV slots for 12 of Gonzaga’s 13 nonconference games and all but five of their 18 conference matchups.
Starting off the season, Gonzaga will feature in two preseason exhibition games broadcast on KHQ: a game against Northwest on October 19 at 2 p.m., followed by a matchup against Western Oregon on October 27 at 6 p.m. After these, the Bulldogs will return to KHQ for their season opener on November 3 at home against Texas Southern at McCarthey Athletic Center. This will be followed by three consecutive games on different ESPN channels.
While exact tipoff times for the November 8 game against Oklahoma (held at the Arena) and the November 11 game versus Creighton (at McCarthey Athletic Center) have yet to be confirmed, both contests will be televised on one of ESPN's primary channels such as ESPN, ESPN2, or ESPNU. Gonzaga’s first road game of the season takes place on November 14 at Arizona State, with a scheduled 8 p.m. tipoff airing on ESPN2.
Returning home, Gonzaga will host Southern Utah on November 17 in a game airing on KHQ before heading to Las Vegas for the Players Era Festival. Here, the Zags could be seen in three back-to-back nationally televised games. The tournament begins on November 24 at 6:30 p.m. with a game against Alabama broadcast on TNT, followed by a November 25 game also at 6:30 p.m. against Maryland, which will air on truTV. The tournament concludes on either November 26 or 27 with an opponent still to be determined.
December promises a marquee event as Gonzaga journeys to Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for their fourth consecutive clash with Kentucky. This highly anticipated December 4 game will begin at 4 p.m. PT and broadcast on ESPN2.
Between December 7 and 17, Gonzaga has two home games against North Florida and Campbell, both set to tip off at 6 p.m. and broadcast on KHQ. Sandwiched in between, on December 13, they will face UCLA at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena in the Seattle Hoops Showdown, yet to have its tipoff time confirmed but secured for ESPN's network.
As previously announced, the Zags will close out their nonconference schedule on December 21 versus Oregon at Portland’s Moda Center, with a 3 p.m. start time streaming live on NBC’s Peacock platform.
Besides these nonconference fixtures, Gonzaga will be part of eight nationally televised WCC games during January and February, part of the conference’s total of 24 national broadcasts.
Washington State University will also enjoy national exposure with six games scheduled on major networks during the WCC season, including both thrilling matches against their Spokane rivals.
Gonzaga's WCC play kicks off with two road games at Pepperdine on December 28 and San Diego on December 30, with TV details still upcoming. The Zags then return home to play Seattle University on January 2 at 6 p.m. on KHQ, followed by a January 4 game against Loyola Marymount University (LMU), which also airs on KHQ at 6 p.m.
It won't be until the fifth WCC game—the January 10 showdown with Santa Clara—that Gonzaga will appear on national television via ESPN's platforms.
High-profile conference games continue with two contests on CBS Sports Network: January 15 at Washington State and January 24 against San Francisco at home. The tipoff times for these games remain to be announced.
The remainder of Gonzaga's nationally televised WCC games will be broadcast across ESPN’s channels (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU), with schedules and start times still pending. This group includes January 31 against Saint Mary’s, February 10 at Washington State, February 14 hosting Santa Clara, February 18 at San Francisco, and the season finale against Saint Mary’s on February 28.
In addition to these national broadcasts, three home WCC games will air on KHQ, each beginning at 6 p.m.: January 21 versus Pepperdine, February 21 against Pacific, and February 24 hosting Portland.
For two away conference games without national TV slots, Gonzaga has confirmed tipoff times: January 17 against Seattle U at the larger Climate Pledge Arena (instead of Seattle’s smaller Redhawk Arena) will start at 7 p.m., and a February 4 game at Portland will also tip off at 7 p.m.
Washington State’s nationally televised schedule adds more intrigue with games at Saint Mary’s on January 10 (ESPN networks), at Oregon State on February 4 (CBSSN), hosting Saint Mary’s on February 21 (ESPN networks), and at LMU on February 25 (ESPN networks).
Any WCC games not shown on major networks will be accessible through ESPN’s streaming platform, ESPN+.
And this is the part most people miss: With such extensive national TV exposure, Gonzaga’s schedule reflects not only their competitive stature but also the shifting landscape of college basketball broadcasting. Will this increased visibility lead to even more recruiting advantages or greater pressure on the team? What do you think—does national TV hype help or distract the players? Share your thoughts below!
