Gonzaga University is in early discussions to move from the West Coast Conference to the Big 12, an industry source confirmed to The Athletic on Wednesday. ESPN first reported the talks.
- The source stressed there is no immediate timeline and that the Big 12 is not the only league that has reached out to Gonzaga. The Pac-12 and Big East have also spoken with Gonzaga.
- The source termed the talks “Real but early,” adding, “It’s all exploratory right now.”
- Indications are that Gonzaga would want any move to be an all-sports deal, not just for basketball.
Backstory
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark declared in July the conference was “open for business” within weeks of his hiring. He is focused on growing its brand nationally, though he has stressed any expansion the conference pursues needs to be financially additive and not dilutive. An interest in expanding the Big 12’s reach into all four time zones has factored into its talks with Pac-12 members.
“On the men’s side, we’re arguably the No. 1 conference in America,” Yormark said last month at Big 12 basketball media day, a claim that will be strengthened by the addition of incoming members Cincinnati, BYU, Houston and UCF in 2023-34. Yormark brings more experience in basketball than football to his role and spent more than two decades of his career working for NBA franchises.
Fox is expected to add Big 12 basketball games to its inventory as part of its new media rights deal with the conference. The Big 12 secured a six-year extension with ESPN and Fox that runs through 2030-31 and is worth north of $2.2 billion. The deal is expected to include a pro rata clause in the event of future expansion.
Texas and Oklahoma are leaving the Big 12 for the SEC no later than 2025, when the Big 12’s grant of rights expires.
The Pac-12 declined to comment to The Athletic on Wednesday regarding conversations with specific schools.
Why would the Big 12 want Gonzaga?
In the last two-plus decades Gonzaga has gone from a Cinderella story to one of men’s college basketball’s most preeminent programs, with two national title game appearances in the last five postseasons along with seven-straight Sweet 16 appearances. It’s also in the last few years started recruiting top-ranked prospects to Spokane, with players like Jalen Suggs and Chet Holmgren bringing even casual interest to Gonzaga basketball games. The school already has a steady working relationship with ESPN through the network’s broadcast partnership with the West Coast Conference.
Gonzaga has also proven it can bring in TV ratings: its regular-season November 2021 game with Duke was the second-highest-rated regular-season game last season, watched by 2.79 million viewers. — O’Neil
Where do the Pac-12 schools stand?
The Big 12’s priority in its expansion efforts continues to be Pac-12 schools, as The Athletic has previously reported. An industry source told The Athletic’s Seth Davis that the Big 12 has also conducted preliminary, introductory discussions with several prominent Group of Five schools as a way of maximizing their options. — O’Neil
(Photo: James Snook / USA Today)
