UK and Gonzaga seem to disagree on 2022 matchup being a road game

Oct 4, 2022 - 10:58 PM

The Kentucky Wildcats have unveiled their 2022-23 men’s basketball schedule. Arguably the biggest game on the schedule is a November matchup with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, who are once again among the top preseason favorites to win it all.

The game will not take place at Gonzaga’s home arena, the McCarthey Athletic Center, also known as The Kennel, which seats 6,000 people.

However, it’s still nearby at Spokane Arena, about a five-minute drive from Gonzaga’s campus. The venue seats 12,000 people and should effectively be a home game for the Bulldogs.

Apparently, the schools don’t agree on what kind of game this is.

Kentucky’s schedule lists this as a road matchup “at Gonzaga.”

However, Gonzaga’s schedule lists it as a neutral court game.

Granted, the game is not at Gonzaga’s official home arena, but calling this anything but a road game is silly. I seriously doubt when Selection Sunday comes around that the committee will classify this as anything other than a road game for Kentucky.

Even Jeff Goodman is defending Calipari and Kentucky, which is all you really need to know on if this should be considered a road game for the Wildcats.

Back in August when John Calipari and Mark Few announced this home-and-home series, Calipari was asked why he wanted to play at Spokane Arena instead of the smaller McCarthey Center.

“Anybody that wants us to play in a 6,000-seat facility wants us to lose.” Calipari stated. “And I get that. I tried to look back and find the last time UK played in a true regular-season road game with 6,000 or fewer fans. I stopped looking after the 70s.”

Calipari also noted that NCAA Tournament games aren’t played in arenas that seat just 6,000 people, another reason why he wanted this game to take place in a bigger arena. Most NCAA Tournament games take place in venues that can seat 15,000+ people.

So, what say you? Should this be considered a true road game for Kentucky? Let us know in the comments section!