Arizona confirmed Monday it will play at Tennessee on Dec. 22 next season while pushing back a tentatively scheduled game at Gonzaga because of new coach Tommy Lloyd's roots with the Zags.
UA had been scheduled to play at Gonzaga on either Nov. 12 or 13 as the second half of a series that began when the Bulldogs played the Wildcats at McKale Center during the 2019-20 season. The Wildcats were also scheduled to add a final one-time guarantee game for Dec. 21.
But instead, Arizona will now face Tennessee in their final pre-Christmas game and add a still-to-be determined one-time game on Nov. 11 or 12. Tennessee will return the Dec. 22 game by playing at McKale Center on Dec. 17, 2022.
Meanwhile, UA is hoping to push the Gonzaga game back to the 2024-25 season, since Lloyd has made it clear he does not want to play his old team soon after taking over Arizona because of the emotions involved.
Lloyd was an assistant coach at Gonzaga for 20 years before he was named Arizona's head coach last month.
Here's Arizona's near-completed schedule:
Arizona's 2021-22 schedule
Nov. 9: NAU
Nov. 11 or 12: Home game TBA
Nov. 16: North Dakota State (MGM Main Event)
Nov. 19: MGM Main Event (UNLV, Michigan or Wichita State)
Nov. 21: MGM Main Event (UNLV, Michigan or Wichita State)
Nov. 27: Sacramento State
Dec. 1-2: Pac-12 game TBA
Dec. 4-6:Β Pac-12 game TBA
Dec. 8: Wyoming
Dec. 11: at Illinois
Dec. 15: Northern Colorado
Dec. 18: Cal Baptist
Dec. 22: at Tennessee
Remaining 18 Pac-12 games after Christmas: TBA
