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Gonzaga Basketball

Gonzaga to host dedication ceremony for basketball strength and conditioning center

The weight room is photographed at Volkar Center at Gonzaga University on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. (Kathy Plonka / The Spokesman-Review)
By Theo Lawson theol@spokesman.com(509) 459-5584

The strength and conditioning facility that houses Gonzaga’s men’s and women’s basketball players will be renamed to honor a former Bulldog standout and current NBA player who recently pledged a “transformative gift” in support of the men’s basketball program.

The player, who went unnamed in a university news release Monday, will be honored at a dedication ceremony at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday inside the Volkar Center for Athletic Achievement on Gonzaga’s campus.

“The gift marks a significant investment in the continued development, performance and well-being of Gonzaga basketball student-athletes,” the release said.

The list of active NBA players from Gonzaga has grown substantially during coach Mark Few’s 28-year tenure in Spokane with 13 taking the floor for regular-season games in 2025-26.

According to a post from College Basketball Report on June 10, Gonzaga ranks third among NCAA Division I schools in combined NBA earnings from NBA players, sitting behind only Kentucky and Duke.

Domantas Sabonis was the top earner among former Gonzaga players last season, earning north of $42 million last season with the Sacramento Kings. Former Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren, who won an NBA championship in 2025 with the Oklahoma City Thunder, is set to enter the first year of a five-year, maximum $239 million contract in 2026-27.

Gonzaga also had seven other former players who took home at least $12 million last season, including Jalen Suggs of the Orlando Magic ($35 million), Rui Hachimura of the Los Angeles Lakers ($18.2 million), Andrew Nembhard of the Indiana Pacers ($18.2 million), Zach Collins of the Chicago Bulls ($18.1 million), Corey Kispert of the Atlanta Hawks ($13.9 million), Kelly Olynyk of the San Antonio Spurs ($13.4 million) and the late Brandon Clarke of the Memphis Grizzlies ($12.5 million).

Gonzaga’s strength and conditioning room opened its doors in 2018 when the school completed construction on the three-story Volkar Center, which also includes a state-of-the-art basketball practice court, nutrition and social space and academic support service for student-athletes.