Gonzaga is expected to join the Pac-12, a person briefed on the negotiations told The Athletic on Tuesday, giving the conference one of the nation’s premier basketball programs as it continues its rebuild.
Gonzaga, as a non-football school, won’t be a full Pac-12 member, meaning the conference still has seven full members. It must reach eight by 2026 to meet NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision conference requirements. But for the Pac-12, it’s an addition of a men’s basketball program that reached the national championship game in 2017 and 2021 and has made 24 consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Gonzaga’s women’s basketball program also has 15 tournament appearances since 2007 and made the Sweet 16 in 2024.
Gonzaga is joining the Pac-12 from the West Coast Conference, where it had been since 1979.
The Pac-12, which was down to Oregon State and Washington State after losing 10 schools to the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC, added Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State last month. All are set to join in 2026. After an attempt to add schools from the American Athletic Conference fell short, the Pac-12 then added Utah State as the seventh full member.
Its attempt to add UNLV fell short, as the six remaining full Mountain West members, along with football-only member Hawaii, opted to stay together and sign a binding agreement.
With Gonzaga, the Pac-12 is creating a formidable men’s basketball conference. Along with the Zags’ history of success, San Diego State played in the 2023 national championship game and has reached the NCAA Tournament 11 times since 2010, including the last four years. Utah State has reached four of the last five tournaments, and Boise State has reached the tournament in each of the last three years.
This story will be updated.
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