Augustana College occasionally has played Division I opponents in basketball through the years, but the Vikings never have traveled as far to play as high quality an opponent as they will next season.

Augustana will travel to Spokane, Wash., to take on perennial power Gonzaga early next season, according to the schedule released by the school Monday.

The game will take place on Dec. 9, just three days before Augie visits St. Louis for a game against two-time NCAA Division III champion Washington University.

Not surprisingly, Augie coach Grey Giovanine called it "the toughest non-league schedule we've ever put together.

"For our team to get a chance to compete against one of college basketball's best programs in ar-guably the toughest home court environment in the nation, is a remarkable opportunity," he said.

"I have always had a good relationship with the Gonzaga staff and we appreciate this opportu-nity. This is a model program at the highest collegiate level and I think it is safe to say we will be the only Division III team in the country playing a regular-season game against a perennial Top 20 Division I program."

Gonzaga was 29-6 last season and has gone to the NCAA tournament 11 years in a row.

The game will take place in the McCarthey Athletic Center, aka "The Kennel." Gonzaga has gone 63-3 in the building since it opened in 2004.

"We know that Grey Giovanine has one of the nation's best Division III programs …" Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "It will be a sellout crowd and I believe he and his team will really appreciate the environment on game night."

Augustana returns just one starter - point guard Matt Pelton -- from last season's 18-8 team.

The Augie non-conference schedule also includes games with Washington, which was 29-2 last year, including an 87-82 overtime win over Augie; Wisconsin-Whitewater, which lost to Washington last year in the second round of the Division III national tournament; and Buena Vista, which was 23-3 last season. The season opener will be Nov. 16 at home against Simpson.