Gonzaga Bulldogs

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have turned Spokane into a college basketball capital, packing the raucous McCarthey Athletic Center for one of the most feared mid-major programs in America. Since the late 1990s, the Zags have become a nightly staple of Selection Sunday, defined by fluid, unselfish offense and a nose for tournament upsets. Under Mark Few, Gonzaga has built a winning culture that rivals blue bloods twice its size.

Gonzaga's basketball program was formed in 1907, but its modern legend was born with a Cinderella run to the 1999 Elite Eight. Since then the Bulldogs have made the NCAA Tournament every year, becoming the gold standard for mid-major consistency. Under longtime head coach Mark Few, Gonzaga reached back-to-back national championship games, falling to North Carolina in 2017 and Baylor in 2021. The Bulldogs have never won the national title, but their sustained excellence has rewritten expectations for what a non-power-conference program can achieve.