Despite not winning a national championship, there is an argument that Gonzaga’s men’s basketball program has been the standard for the last five to ten years, excluding Villanova. Mark Few has produced a level of consistency that is hard to match. Despite this, the potential move to a Power 6 conference seems like too big a carrot for the Zags basketball program to ignore.
12 grand
Multiple reports say Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormak is aggressively courting Gonzaga. Last month, Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger reported, “The conference has aggressively courted several Pac-12 schools, as well as Gonzaga, in an attempt to expand further.”
Gonzaga’s current West Coast Conference rival BYU has already accepted an offer to join the Big 12 next school year. Texas and Oklahoma will head to the SEC in 2024. The Big 12 also adds Houston, UCF and Cincinnati in response.
The opportunity for Gonzaga to have multiple wars per season with basketball powerhouses Kansas, Baylor and Houston is very compelling. The Big 12 has been the deepest and best basketball conference in recent seasons, and the gap would only widen with the possible addition of Gonzaga.
It’s easy to see why Gonzaga would be a draw to any conference. In a 2021 report, the men’s and women’s basketball programs brought in $20 million in revenue. However, a union with the Big 12 would generate massive travel expenses for the other sports teams.
Pac-12
The Pac-12 seems to be a natural geographic fit for Gonzaga. In addition to the ease of travel, there would be a seamless transition to the other sports that Gonzaga offers. The main obstacle is on the side of the Pac-12. They have yet to agree to a commitment to a TV network or streaming service to broadcast their games, which will likely prioritize soccer. Apple is reportedly considering acquiring the broadcast rights to Pac-12 sports.
With its two most prominent brands exiting the conference, the Pac-12 is in disarray. Ultimately, this causes some problems in any potential deal between Gonzaga and the Pac-12, but the gaps left by USC and UCLA still need to be filled.
