Perennial NCAA Tournament contenders Kentucky and Gonzaga agreed to play a six-year series, beginning Nov. 20 in Spokane, Wash., the two programs announced Thursday.
“I am so excited that we have finalized this series,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said in a news release. “(Gonzaga coach) Mark (Few) is a great friend and what he has done at Gonzaga to build them into one of the premier programs in our sport is incredible. The mindset I have when I put together our schedule here at Kentucky is that we want to always challenge ourselves by competing with the best teams we can find and generate some marquee home games for the best fans in the country. We have done that with Gonzaga and I look forward to competing with them the next six seasons.”
Two games — 2022 and 2027 — will be played in Spokane, while Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., will host the 2023 and 2026 games. The teams will meet on neutral courts in Seattle (2024) and Nashville (2025).
“This is something Coach Calipari and I have been working on for some time,” Few said. “It’s an exciting thing for both programs, both schools, both fan bases, and all of college basketball. Instead of a two-year thing, this gives everyone something to put on their calendar and look forward to over the next six seasons.”
The two-game home-and-away series was announced in August during a telethon to raise money for flood victims in Kentucky. Few donated a pair of courtside seats to be auctioned and benefit flood victims. The coaches didn’t give an inkling of what was to come.
The two teams have played each other in the regular season just once, with Kentucky winning 80-72 at the Maui Invitational in 2002.
Last season, No. 1 seed Gonzaga finished 28-4 and lost in the West Region semifinals of the NCAA Tournament to Arkansas, 74-68. No. 2 seed Kentucky was 26-8, which included a stunning first-round loss to St. Peter’s, 85-79, as the Peacocks began their magical run to the Elite Eight.
–Field Level Media