Monday morning read: Gonzaga to play Pittsburgh in 2015 Armed Forces Classic

File this one away in the "kind of a big deal" category.  Per the Spokesman Review, Gonzaga will take part in the annual Armed Forces Classic next season against Pittsburgh.  The Zags will travel to Okinawa, Japan and will play on a United State Marine Corps base.  The game will be broadcast on ESPN as part of their broader tribute to service during the Veterans Day holiday.

I'm sure once Mark Few goes on the record about this game he will exclaim what an honor it is for the Bulldogs to be part of such a cool event.  15 years ago, the idea of Gonzaga being selected to travel to a military base to showcase their basketball skills off to those serving our country would have been a joke but this kind of honor really speaks to the trajectory of the program.

Not only will it be incredible for the kids to travel to Japan, but it is another solid non-conference matchup for the Bulldogs in 2015.  Pitt is expected to have a down year in 2014 as most pundits have them finishing right in the middle of the 15 team ACC.  That said, the opportunity to play a historically strong power conference opponent is something we can all surely get behind.