The Pac-12 is adding Gonzaga as a member to all athletic programs beginning July 1, 2026, the school and conference announced Tuesday. The Bulldogs will also be out of the West Coast Conference (WCC). Gonzaga will join the Pac-12 as its eighth member.
“After discussions with Pac-12 member presidents, I believe membership will represent an opportunity to participate in building a conference that envisions new, forward-thinking ways to support student-athletes in the rapidly changing environment of sports,” Gonzaga University President Thayne McCulloh. said.
“Partnering with a new group of universities can also help in our efforts to recruit and enroll students, open opportunities for academic collaboration with new partners, and attract more students who value an excellent education rooted in our Jesuit faith and culture. I am very excited about the opportunities partnering with this group of institutions can provide our students, faculty and staff through multi-institutional collaboration. “
The Pac-12 Conference and Gonzaga University are proud to announce their partnership, as the Bulldogs will join the conference as of July 1, 2026.
📰Press release: pic.twitter.com/NKmyyweKqH— Gonzaga Athletics (@GonzagaBulldogs) October 1, 2024
Ten of the 12 schools that are members of the Pac-12 have left in the past year, leaving only Oregon State and Washington State. The conference was able to negotiate a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West Conference (MWC) for Oregon State and Washington State in football this season. As part of the agreement, the schools will serve as associate members of the WCC in basketball.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Kyle Bonagura, negotiations between the Pac-12 and Gonzaga have intensified over the past three days. In a statement, the commissioner of the West Coast Conference, Stu Jackson, said they were informed of Gonzaga’s decision, saying that Gonzaga “has been a respected member of the WCC for more than four decades.”
The Pac-12 will add Gonzaga, but the school will not be counted as the league’s eighth full member because it does not have football.
Although Gonzaga is the eighth member of the Pac-12, it will not be counted as the eighth member of this division fully since the school does not have football. The Pac-12 still needs to add one more member to meet the conference minimum.
Gonzaga is set to join Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Utah State, and Washington State in the conference.
The Pac-12 also had preliminary talks with Grand Canyon and Saint Mary’s, both of which participated in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament last year.
The last year of the Gonzaga football program was 1941.
The last game the Bulldogs played on the gridiron was against none other than new conference rival Washington State.
If the Pac-12 can come back, so can Gonzaga football. pic.twitter.com/0ZEXiiIYVH
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) October 1, 2024
However, the Pac-12 is more focused on adding another football school than a basketball program. Gonzaga has been a member of the WCC since the 1989-90 season.
The Bulldogs are one of the top brands and consistent winners in men’s college basketball. Gonzaga has reached the round of 16 of the NCAA men’s tournament nine straight times. The Bulldogs have also reached every NCAA men’s tournament since 1999.
Additionally, Gonzaga has one of the most respected men’s basketball coaches in the nation in Mark Few, who has been at the school since 2000. Under Few, the Bulldogs have reached the Final Four twice.
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