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BYU has been one of Gonzaga's most consistent WCC foils since they joined the conference.
When the BYU Cougars joined the West Coast Conference in 2011, it was obvious they would quickly become one of the Zags’ biggest rivals. Now, though, the two programs are set to turn a page in their rivalry as Gonzaga heads to Provo for the final time before BYU switches allegiances to the Big 12 Conference.
The stage for these two to become rivals was set even before the Cougars officially joined the league in July 2011. That March, the two teams met in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Powered by star shooter Jimmer Fredette, 3-seed BYU emphatically knocked 11-seed Gonzaga out of the dance with a 22-point win, putting a screeching halt to the Zags’ season.
Their first game as conference foes came in February 2012 in Provo, when an unranked BYU team upset No. 24 Gonzaga by 10. Gonzaga’s stranglehold on the league looked to be weakening, and BYU looked ready to make a run at WCC supremacy.
But the Cougars never truly make good on that promising start. After those back-to-back defeats, Gonzaga ran off five straight wins against the Cougars. Overall, the Zags own a 22-6 record against BYU since the Cougars joined the conference.
While it’s been lopsided in favor of the Zags, among conference foes only Saint Mary’s has fared better against Gonzaga than BYU, and only by the slightest of margins. While it's true that Gonzaga doesn’t normally lose to BYU, the sting from the times when they have will never go away.
In 2015, Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell were set to celebrate in the Zags’ regular season finale at home against BYU. The Cougars spoiled the four-year duo’s senior night, 73-70. Gonzaga entered that game with just one loss, but left with twice as many.
Two years later, the Cougars spoiled another senior night in Spokane, this time handing the top-ranked Zags — who entered the game 29-0 — its first loss and only loss of the regular season. That all-time GU squad wouldn't taste defeat again until the National Championship Game versus North Carolina.
In 2020, Gonzaga went to Provo with a 27-1 record and a No. 2 ranking next to their name. A sell-out crowd of just under 19,000 went crazy as the Cougars played spoiler yet again, snapping the Zags’ 19-game winning streak.
The Zags return to BYU's Marriott Center on Thursday night for what we can only hope is not the
final time.
“I’m quite certain we’ll have something going on in the future,” Mark Few said after last season’s game at BYU.
“Obviously, the atmospheres are terrific whether they are in The Kennel or down at the Marriott Center,” Few added. Few’s counterpart, BYU head coach Mark Pope, has had plenty of good things to say about playing the Zags over the years.
When news broke of talks between officials from Gonzaga and the Big 12 Conference earlier this season, rumors began to fly that the Zags may soon follow the Cougars to their new league. When asked about the potential move, Pope was effusive.
“If it works for the Zags, and it works for the Big 12, why would we not want it?" Pope said. "It’s just awesome. Coach Few is so incredible."
Of course, the Zags aren’t moving to the Big 12... at least not yet. For now, Thursday's game in Provo looks like a finale. Which is a shame, because this rivalry is good for both teams involved and for the college basketball in general.
Gonzaga and BYU fans need to savor this moment.
NEXT UP
Gonzaga at BYU • Thur, Jan. 12 at 6:30 pm • ESPN
Gonzaga vs Portland • Sat, Jan. 14 at 7 pm • ESPN2
