Report: Gonzaga Set to Join New Conference

Gonzaga is set to join the Pac-12 Conference, leaving the WCC, they announced on Tuesday. The Bulldogs will officially join the conference effective on July 1, 2026.

Gonzaga now joins Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State as the renovated Pac-12, with original members Oregon State and Washington State headlining the way.

The Pac-12 Conference and Gonzaga University are proud to announce their partnership, as the Bulldogs will join the conference effective July 1, 2026.
📰Press Release: https://t.co/N1MISXXxcE pic.twitter.com/NKmyyweKqH

— Gonzaga Athletics (@GonzagaBulldogs) October 1, 2024

“Following discussions with Pac-12 member presidents, I believe membership will represent an opportunity to participate in building a conference that imagines new, forward-thinking ways to support student-athletes in a rapidly changing collegiate sports landscape,” said Gonzaga University President Thayne McCulloh. “Partnerships with a new group of universities can also assist in our student recruitment and enrollment efforts, create opportunities for academic collaboration with new faculty colleagues, and attract more students who value an excellent education distinctively rooted in our Jesuit identity and tradition. I am particularly excited about the opportunities partnering with this group of institutions can offer our students, faculty, and staff for multi-institutional collaboration.”

Gonzaga has been involved in conference realignment talks the past couple of years, including talks with the Big 12 and Big East.

Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark met with conference presidents and athletic directors last month and pitched the idea of adding Gonzaga to the conference. Talks with Gonzaga quieted down over the past few months as the Big 12 expanded westward with Pac-12 schools.

Gonzaga has put themselves in a position to be known as one of the modern-day blue bloods for college basketball. Since the hiring of Mark Few in 1999, the Bulldogs have reached the NCAA Tournament Championship twice, 2-Final Fours, 13-Sweet Sixteens and 24-straight NCAA Tournament appearances.