Gonzaga Unveils Full 2026-27 Schedule, Breaking Down Zags' Challenging Matchups
The Gonzaga Bulldogs officially released their 2026-27 schedule, which includes seven teams that appeared in the NCAA Tournament last season, 10 squads that won at least 20 games, and four reigning conference champions. Gonzaga will also play a 16-game slate in the revamped Pac-12, featuring a double round-robin format.
Emerald City Spectrum reporter Howard Woodard gives expectations for Kraziness in the Kennel, breaks down the Zags' marquee nonconference matchups, and previews the structure of GU's new conference.
Analysis: Three Moves Mariners Need to Make Before Impending Lockout
The current Collective Bargaining Agreement in Major League Baseball ends on December 1, 2026. Most assume there will be a lockout of some kind as the owners and players fight for things they want, including the league desiring the implementation of a salary cap.
The situation might even get to the point where the 2027 regular season is shortened or altered in some way. Things might get messy. What can’t happen during that undetermined amount of time? Trades and signings. That will be a long stretch of winter for fans who love offseason moves with no activity.
What needs to happen in Seattle before that seemingly inevitable long, dark winter?
Sounders Escape Sporting KC on Late Cristian Roldan Goal
The Seattle Sounders collected their third home win in eight days with a 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City on Thursday night thanks to a second-half stoppage-time goal from Cristian Roldan off a deflection. The win moved Seattle (10-9-8) into seventh in the MLS Western Conference, extending their unbeaten run to eight games off the heels of an MLS-worst eight-game losing streak.
Jordan Morris set up both Seattle goals to continue his solid run of games, assisting on 20-year-old Sebastian Gomez’s first MLS goal while being dragged down in the second half. The homestand proved to be a good tune-up against some non-playoff teams, as Seattle readies to welcome back striker Dejan Joveljić from international duty ahead of a tough road trip at the New England Revolution and FC Dallas in the coming weeks with just seven games to play.
Analysis: Jordan Eberle, Kraken Get Offensive in 6-1 Season-Opening Win Over Flames
It’s true the Seattle Kraken were facing the Calgary Flames, a team expected by most prognosticators to be at the bottom of the NHL standings this season and competing for a top draft pick. It’s also true tonight was just the first of a long 84-game season.
But make no mistake: the Kraken couldn’t have been much more dominant than they were in a season-opening 6-1 victory, kicking off year No. 2 of the Lane Lambert era with a bang.
“It’s good to see us start that way,” Vince Dunn said postgame. “It’s good to get that confidence rolling. It’s a quick turnaround after preseason. It was a pretty well-rounded team effort there. That’s huge.”
Zach Charbonnet, Ty Okada Return to Practice as Seahawks Ramp Up Preparations for Chargers
While it remains to be seen when either player will suit up for game action for the first time in 2026, the Seattle Seahawks welcomed back two key starters to the practice field with running back Zach Charbonnet and safety Ty Okada returning as limited participants on Thursday.
Designated to return from the PUP list, Charbonnet’s latest step shifts him one step closer to the end of a difficult journey recovering from a torn ACL. The fourth-year back injured his knee during a Divisional Round victory over the 49ers in January and didn’t undergo surgery to repair the ligament until February 20, putting his status for the upcoming season up in the air with just five months until the start of training camp.
But Charbonnet has seemingly been well ahead of schedule throughout the process, drawing praise from coach Mike Macdonald on numerous occasions for his outstanding work ethic and attacking his rehabilitation program from Day 1. Barely seven months after his surgery, he could be seen cutting on the practice field and donning a helmet for the first time since the injury, moving closer to a much-anticipated return for a Seattle backfield that certainly could use him.
“Having Zach back in general, just to have his presence, obviously Zach - man of many words, right?” quarterback Sam Darnold joked. “Doesn’t say a whole lot, but just the way he leads by example every single day of just coming to work and doing his job, that’s huge for us as a team.”
Did Storm’s Dominique Malonga Get Robbed of MIP Award?
Dallas Wings forward Jessica Shepard won the 2026 Kia WNBA Most Improved Player award, the league announced on Wednesday. Seattle Storm forward Dominique Malonga was also in the running for the award, finishing fifth out of six players in the voting.
Malonga made a massive jump from her rookie to second season, and she was one of just two second-year players in the voting (Portland Fire’s Carla Leite). The former 2025 No. 2 overall pick led the Storm in nearly every statistical category and drastically improved as a defender.
Was Malonga robbed of the MIP award? Did playing for the worst team in the WNBA swing the voting out of her favor? Let’s take a look at how the voting shook out.
Kraken, Flyers Flip Prospects as Seattle Trades for Devin Kaplan
Ahead of tonight’s season opener, the Seattle Kraken and Philadelphia Flyers swapped AHL prospects. The Kraken flipped 2022 second-rounder David Goyette for 2022 third-round pick Devin Kaplan.
Both prospects are bound for the AHL this season. Kaplan is a physical, 6-3 winger who spent three seasons at Boston University and earned an NHL game at the end of the 2024-25 regular season. In his senior season with the Terriers, Kaplan had 10 goals and 18 points in 38 games while racking up a lot of penalty minutes.
The 22-year-old scored five goals and 13 points in 49 games as a rookie in the AHL last season. He also had 62 penalty minutes. Kaplan is on the last season of his entry-level contract and should slot into Coachella-Valley’s bottom-six forward group to start next season.
Spread Thin: Huskies Coach Jedd Fisch Put Too Much on His 2026 Plate
Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch needs to do something about his offensive coordinator.
The thing is, being a head football coach is hard.
So is being a CEO. An offensive coordinator. A quarterback coach. A recruiter. A counselor. A fundraiser. And a person forced to deal with the media and the helicopter nature of many college football parents.
Fisch is good at all those things. But perhaps not all of them at once.
Reign Extend Star Defender Jordyn Bugg Through 2030
TUKWILA, Wash. — The Seattle Reign have made it a point to build around a promising young core over the past two seasons, and Thursday marked another key step in keeping that nucleus together. The Reign extended standout 20-year-old center back Jordyn Bugg through 2030, ensuring the 2025 Defender of the Year finalist will remain a stalwart in the back line going forward.
It hasn't been the easiest of seasons for the young USWNT prospect, who missed the first eight games of 2026 with a hamstring issue she picked up on international duty. Bugg hasn't missed any of the 18 games since, as Seattle sits at 12-10-4 in the eighth and final NWSL Playoff spot. Friday's home game against the North Carolina Courage will mark Bugg's 50th appearance with the club.
She’ll be the youngest defender in NWSL history to hit that milestone.
“I’m just super excited to stay here,” Bugg told The Spectrum after training on Thursday. “(The Reign are) kind of my family now… I’ve kind of grown up here.”
Bugg joined the club in 2024 at just 17 years old alongside a 16-year-old Ainsley McCammon. Since then, both have blossomed into consistent starters, with Bugg taking the leap in 2025 while McCammon has done the same this season.
Having leading scorer Maddie Mercado, wingback Ryanne Brown and others like young keepers Evan O’Steen and Neeku Purcell sign extensions has reinforced Bugg’s confidence in sticking out the long haul.
“It’s nice to know that these people will still be around,” Bugg said of the extensions. “We have great connections on and off the field… it is crucial on the field to have those connections.”
Analysis: Three Things That Must Happen for Kraken to Make Playoffs in 2026-27
The Seattle Kraken have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in each of the last three seasons and four of their five seasons as a franchise. If they want to end that drought in 2026-27, they cannot simply hope that things break their way. They need tangible improvements in the areas that have held them back year after year.
Nothing is guaranteed, but if the Kraken can check these three boxes, they could give themselves a legitimate chance to return to the postseason in year No. 2 under the watch of coach Lane Lambert:
Two 30-Plus Goal Scorers
Nothing like saying the Kraken need something that has never happened in franchise history before. The Kraken have only had one 30-goal scorer ever with Jared McCann’s 40-goal performance in 2022-23. His 29 goals that following season is the second most in franchise history.
Seahawks Must Balance Long Game With Immediate Need as Zach Charbonnet Nears Return
After rushing for just 44 yards in a road loss to the Washington Commanders last weekend, much-needed help may be on the way in the near future for the Seattle Seahawks as the team weighs when to designate Zach Charbonnet to return to practice.
On Monday, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald remained non-committal on whether or not Charbonnet would practice this week, which would open his 21-day window to be activated to the 53-man roster. The fourth-year back has made quite the rapid recovery from a torn ACL suffered in a Divisional Round win over the 49ers in January and reconstructive knee surgery in late February.
“We’re still working through that process,” Macdonald said. “I’m sure we’ll have an answer by sometime tomorrow, whether or not he’ll start practicing this week. It’s not out of the question yet, we just haven’t had an update.”
During Seattle’s off day on Tuesday, the team didn’t announce anything on the Charbonnet front, leaving his status in question. But that doesn’t mean a decision wasn’t made behind the scenes, and before Wednesday’s practice, Macdonald again indicated a decision had not been made and that the veteran back could potentially practice on Thursday.
Considering how much Seattle has struggled running the football in two of the first three games, particularly in short yardage and goal line situations, bringing back Charbonnet as soon as possible would be the perfect ingredient to throw into the pot and spice up a rushing attack that currently doesn’t have enough bite to it. But the team also can’t afford to rush him back too quickly either, making the decision on when to get him back on the practice field a multi-layered one.
Kraken the Ice: New-Look Lineup, Bold Predictions for Seattle Entering 2026-27 Season
Following another season without a playoff berth, expectations remain tempered at best in the Pacific Northwest for the Kraken with coach Lane Lambert at the helm for his second year.
With opening day just a few days away, hosts Nick Lee and Josh Frojelin examine Seattle's roster construction and projected lineup for the 2026-27 season, dish out bold predictions for the team and individual players, and discuss whether or not the Kraken will be in the mix for a top draft pick in the lottery once again or bound to surprise in a jam-packed season preview episode of Kraken the Ice.
50 in 50: Mariners’ Self-Inflicted 2026 Disaster Most Disappointing in Team History
There have been many bad seasons in Mariners history, far more in fact than there have been good years. It took Seattle 15 seasons to have a winning record, after all, and this is the team that won 116 games in a season and didn’t make the World Series. The Mariners, of course, have never made the World Series, the only team in baseball with that dishonorable feat on its name.
The 50-year history of the Mariners has been defined, more than that of any sporting club this side of the Buffalo Sabres, by unceasing failure. And yet the game has cultivated an unyielding nostalgia in Rain City for days that did not end in glory.
And yet out of all the seasons the team of failure has played, 2026 found a way to be the most singularly disappointing. What happened was laughably preventable and cartoonishly immense, at once utterly unforeseen and perfectly predictable, and until baseball starts again - an unknown date courtesy of the coming labor war - it will be all that the M’s can think about.
Last year, the Mariners came closer than ever to their first world series berth, only stayed by a former Astro’s gut-punching home run to send the Blue Jays to the Fall Classic. One rival, it seemed, was replaced by another, and a not insignificant portion of the Emerald City found themselves rooting for the hegemonic Dodgers’ eventual repeat.
When the 2026 season began, the message from the clubhouse and the organization was clear: World Series or bust. The Mariners set out for a mandate, to take their place in the sun, to become baseball’s next dynasty. More resonant with the long-beleaguered fans was the simple idea of finally going to the mountaintop.
Jordan Morris Back in Form for Sounders at Right Time
Jordan Morris had been dealt a tough hand these past two seasons.
The Seattle Sounders' all-time leading scorer played 34 games in 2024 before matching that total over nearly two complete seasons in 2025 and 2026. An AC joint separation last summer and multiple long injuries in 2026 have made the striker-turned-winger into an inconsistent presence for head coach Brian Schmetzer.
With reserve striker Danny Musovski bursting onto the scene last summer and star transfer Dejan Joveljić occupying the nine spot, Morris could've very well been phased out of the rotation.
But Schmetzer believed in what the veteran from Mercer Island still had to give, finding creative ways to insert him back into the lineup — the coach even benched a hot Musovski last summer to get Morris back on the pitch at striker after his shoulder injury.
Morris has, slowly, at times, paid Schmetzer's belief off with savvy moments inside the box and runs that stretch opposing lines. But small knocks have chipped away at his confidence, leading to performances that have fans in debate about his designated player salary being worth the hassle.
After all of that discourse, however, Morris has been able to string together his best stretch of games this season with Joveljić on international duty and Seattle's top winger options sidelined with injury. With Seattle (9-8-9, ninth in MLS Western Conference) fighting back into playoff positioning on a seven-game unbeaten streak, the advent of Joveljić, the sharp service of Albert Rusnák and the resurgence of Morris have taken center stage.
‘Not Good Enough’: Seahawks’ Special Teams Play Not Meeting Standard Early in 2026 Season
When it comes to on-field performance, Mike Macdonald has set the bar incredibly high for the Seattle Seahawks, expecting his players to play to a championship standard in all three phases of the game all the time.
On the way to a Super Bowl LX title last season, for the most part, the Seahawks met those expectations. But through three games, coming off their first loss in 10 months at the hands of the Commanders in a 33-31 road defeat, Macdonald isn’t thrilled with the results being produced from the team’s typically excellent special teams units.
“To put it plainly, it’s not good enough,” Macdonald said on Monday. “There’re things process-wise that we can improve on. We've talked about this throughout training camp, and really since we got here, but a Seahawk play needs to look like a Seahawk play. There are plays on tape that we're not doing that.”
Non-Existent Run Game Haunts Seahawks’ One-Dimensional Offense in 33-31 Loss to Commanders
Picking up where they left off on a 16-play scoring drive to put away the Arizona Cardinals one week earlier, the Seattle Seahawks nearly generated an explosive run on the first play from scrimmage against the Washington Commanders on Sunday with Jadarian Price cutting back against the grain behind several nice blocks and powering his way past the marker for an 11-yard run and a first down.
But from that point on, the Seahawks could not get anything going on the ground, as the Commanders bucked up at the line of scrimmage and swarmed the trio of Price, Emanuel Wilson, and George Holani for the rest of the soggy afternoon. 16 combined carries over the final 58 minutes netted a total of - gulp - 28 yards, less than two yards per carry as the visitors had to pivot to airing it out in the second half with run play after run play setting them behind the sticks.
Ultimately, Seattle still managed to put 31 points on the scoreboard with Sam Darnold throwing for 379 yards and tossing four touchdown passes, including two to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. But the inability to run the ball all day long made the offense too one-dimensional, and Washington made the veteran quarterback pay twice with costly interceptions, including a pick-six from linebacker Kain Medrano with less than five minutes to play in the game as the home team sealed a 33-31 upset over the defending champions.
After the game, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald didn’t have much of an answer to the team’s run game woes in Sunday’s defeat, crediting the Commanders for dictating things up front and Darnold’s effectiveness de-prioritizing establishing the run game down the stretch.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. That was a good front. I think we were trying to find solutions,” Macdonald said. “I think, also, the way the second half went with the weather clearing up and the way the pass game was going, I think that’s where we decided to emphasize.”
Wilson Departs as Manager, Rizzs Calls Final Game as M’s Finish Year 76-86
The 2026 Mariners season has come to a close. It opened with incredible and much-discussed promise, it sank visibly into the unforgiving ocean as the season went on, and it came to an unceremonious end over the duration of September, each nail slammed in the casket to the crawling cadence of an old sea dirge.
The story of our latter-day Edmund Fitzgerald ended with the long-telegraphed departure of manager Dan Wilson, who informed his players before the final game that it would be his last as skipper. In response to a direct question about whether he had left of his own accord or whether the decision had come from above, Wilson merely left strong hints.
“This was, you know, I've been in baseball a while, and this is what happens,” he said. “Managers shoulder the blame and shoulder the responsibility. And this is obviously difficult, and my family and I are still processing it.”
In spite of it all, there was a bit of fanfare on the final Sunday of them all, but despite the 7-3 team win, it was for a series of individuals; the collective spirit had been drained to the uttermost depths long before Logan Gilbert took the hill for his final start of 2026.
Gilbert indeed had his flowers as he passed 200 strikeouts in a season for the second time in his career, finishing his year with 205 punchouts and moving up to 1,089 for his career. So did Randy Arozarena, who capped off a career year batting .281 with a .381 on-base percentage and .484 slugging. J.P. Crawford, the longest-tenured member of the team, went 1-3 to finish the year. Both Arozarena and Crawford are free agents after this season and both are unlikely to return to Seattle.
Legendary broadcaster Rick Rizzs, however, was the most notable departure. He addressed the crowd at length after the final pitch, thanking them for their support over 41 years broadcasting the team’s games.
“I am retiring, not expiring,” Rizzs playfully reassured the fans. “72, I’m still okay.”
Having announced before the season that 2026 would be his last, the extent of Rizzs’ remaining on-air career would be determined by the play on the field.
And that play, regardless of what happened on the final day, was not up to snuff.
Washington State Falls to Arizona 34-24 After Early Lead Slips Away
Washington State got off to a fast start Saturday afternoon, but the Cougars could not maintain their momentum as the Arizona Wildcats rallied behind quarterback Noah Fifita for a 34-24 win.
The Cougars jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter behind an efficient opening drive from Caden Pinnick and a pick-six from Jackquintin Bal. However, Arizona responded with four straight scoring drives to take control of the game after that point.
Washington State falls to 1-3 on the season following the loss, while Arizona improves to 3-1 with the two teams heading in opposite directions as conference play approaches.
The Cougars had several opportunities to stay within striking distance late, but the offensive struggles that have plagued them at times this season showed up again down the stretch.
The Pie Chart of Blame: Five Reasons Why Seahawks Were Upset by Commanders
The Seahawks rolled into Landover, Maryland as an 8.5-point favorite. They left with their feathery tail between their legs in an upset defeat at the hands of the understaffed Commanders, 33-31. So, what happened?
When a football team loses a game, there is never just one singular moment that leads to the loss. It’s usually a factor of several things that piled up along the way. Let’s try to sort out five reasons.
Injuries to Julian Love, Ty Okada, and Anthony Bradford: 25%
A chunk of this loss can be chalked up to injuries. But not the entire reason.
Rapid Reaction: Seahawks Sunk by Turnovers, Stunned by Commanders in 33-31 Defeat
Outscored by 21 points off turnovers, including a killer pick-six thrown by Sam Darnold to Kain Medrano late in the fourth quarter, the Seattle Seahawks fell victim to the underdog Washington Commanders in a stunning 33-31 defeat to lose for the first time since last November.
Playing in his first game since the opener, Darnold threw for 379 yards with four touchdown passes, including a pair of scoring tosses to Jaxon Smith-Njigba. However, his two picks led to 14 points for the Commanders, sullying an otherwise strong outing from the veteran quarterback. Defensively, Leonard Williams and Derick Hall produced a pair of sacks, but Marcus Mariota managed to throw three touchdowns against a normally formidable unit.
Suffering their first loss of the season, here are five takeaways from Sunday’s unexpected blemish at Northwest Stadium:
1. Losing the turnover battle as well as the points off turnover margin ultimately cost the Seahawks.
Prior to Week 2, the Seahawks had not lost a turnover since the end of the regular season back in January. But that trend has been turned upside down in the early stages of the new campaign, starting with rookie running back Jadarian Price struggling to protect the football in the run game. After losing a fumble in Arizona last week, the first round pick coughed it up again in the first quarter as cornerback Amik Robertson forced it out at the Seattle 21-yard line and Washington recovered. Only a few plays later, Mariota hit running back Rachaad White for a six-yard touchdown to put the home team out in front, and the rookie stayed on the sidelines for most of the remainder of the first half in what appeared to be an unofficial benching.
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