ESPN College GameDay to cover Gonzaga vs. Saint Mary’s rivalry

The Gonzaga-Saint Mary’s rivalry will get the spotlight it deserves when the two teams meet in Moraga on Feb. 11.

ESPN College GameDay will visit McKeon Pavilion as part of its Rivalry Week coverage, with a live edition of College GameDay beginning that Saturday at 8 a.m. PT. The game itself will tip at 5:15 p.m. PT on ESPN.

Saint Mary’s has flown under the radar as a west-coast mid-major this season because it plays in the same conference as undefeated Gonzaga. The two teams met in Spokane on Jan. 14, with the Zags easily handling the Gaels, 79-56.

The loss to Gonzaga was only one of two losses on the season for Saint Mary’s, whose at-large NCAA tournament chances would receive a major boost with a win over the top-ranked Zags.

This will be the fifth time Gonzaga has been featured on GameDay, but just the first time that GameDay has covered its rivalry with the Gaels. Over the next week, the Bulldogs will have to beat Santa Clara at home and Loyola Marymount on the road in order to stay undefeated and ranked No. 1. Assuming that happens, this will be the 10th time that GameDay has covered the top-ranked team. No. 1 is 5-4 all-time on GameDay.