Kentucky Wildcats and Gonzaga Bulldogs have officially decided to end their men’s basketball series earlier than originally planned, bringing a close to one of the more notable non-conference matchups in recent college basketball seasons.
Kentucky announced Wednesday that both programs had “mutually agreed” to discontinue the series despite still having two scheduled games remaining on the contract originally arranged in 2022. As a result, the series will conclude after four meetings instead of the six games that had initially been planned.
The Wildcats were expected to host Gonzaga at Rupp Arena during the upcoming season, while Kentucky was also scheduled to travel to Spokane, Washington for a return matchup during the 2027-28 campaign. That future game would have marked the Wildcats’ first appearance at Gonzaga’s famous home venue, the McCarthey Athletic Center — widely known as “The Kennel” — one of the loudest and most energetic arenas in college basketball.
The cancellation means Kentucky will no longer make that highly anticipated trip to Gonzaga’s campus, a matchup many fans had looked forward to since the series was first created.
Over the four completed games, Gonzaga held a clear advantage in the rivalry. The Bulldogs defeated Kentucky three times in four seasons, while the Wildcats earned only one victory during the series.
Kentucky’s lone win came during the 2023-24 season, which marked Mark Pope’s first year leading the program. In that memorable matchup, the Wildcats erased a double-digit deficit before defeating Gonzaga 90-89 in overtime in Seattle. Although the contest was officially considered a neutral-site game, Gonzaga controlled the majority of the ticket allotment, and the crowd inside Climate Pledge Arena largely favored the Bulldogs.
Before that victory, Gonzaga won the series opener in Spokane Arena and later defeated Kentucky inside Rupp Arena during the final season of John Calipari’s tenure with the Wildcats.
The most recent meeting between the two schools ended in disappointing fashion for Kentucky. Last season, Gonzaga dominated Pope’s squad with a 94-59 victory at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The loss frustrated Wildcats fans so heavily that the Kentucky-heavy crowd reportedly booed the team as players exited the floor after the 35-point defeat.
The original agreement between Kentucky and Gonzaga came together somewhat unexpectedly during the 2022-23 scheduling cycle. Calipari and Gonzaga head coach Mark Few, who share a strong friendship, finalized the deal late in the scheduling process. At the time, the series was viewed as a major attraction because it consistently matched two nationally recognized programs against one another.
Ending the agreement now creates a notable opening in Kentucky’s future home schedule, particularly for the 2026-27 season. However, it also gives Pope and the Wildcats more flexibility moving forward when arranging future non-conference games.
Kentucky already has several major matchups lined up in upcoming seasons. The Wildcats are scheduled to host rival Louisville Cardinals at Rupp Arena while also participating in several high-profile neutral-site events. Those include games against Kansas Jayhawks in the Champions Classic in Chicago and North Carolina Tar Heels in the CBS Sports Classic in New York.
Kentucky will additionally face Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and continue participating in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
Meanwhile, Gonzaga enters the upcoming season with major expectations. The Bulldogs are currently ranked No. 10 in CBS Sports’ preseason Top 25 rankings and are preparing for a major conference transition. Gonzaga will leave the West Coast Conference and join the rebuilt Pac-12 alongside programs such as Oregon State, Washington State, San Diego State, and Utah State.
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