Gonzaga Athletics to Join the Pac-12 Conference

After all the countless negotiations and college realignment reports with the likes of the Big-12 and the Mountain West and the Big East over the years, it finally happened. Goodbye, WCC. Hello, Pac-12.

After more than four decades with the West Coast Conference, it’s the dawn of a new era for the Gonzaga Bulldogs’ athletic department. All sports will be officially joining the Pac-12 Conference on July 1, 2026. It will be just two more seasons in the WCC for the Zags.

This is a major win for athletic director Chris Standiford, the university and for the basketball side of the league. Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould really has resurrected this conference from the graveyard since being hired.

“President McCulloh and A.D Standiford not only bring strategic expertise and forward thinking to the conference, but they are two incredible leaders who care deeply about student success and fortifying student-athlete academic and athletic experiences.” – Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould

I have mostly not been a fan of this day of age of college realignment but this is the right move for the Zags. You stay out on the West Coast and have a chance to continue your winning ways against some more than solid basketball competition that the country has to offer. Last season, six of the new Pac-12 members got at-large bids to the NCAA tournament in Gonzaga, Boise State, Colorado State, Utah State and Washington State. The Zags won’t have as nearly as many Q3/Q4 games than they did with the WCC.

Gonzaga and San Diego State are the two top dawgs in this conference. Both programs have made the national championship once in the last four seasons. Starting up another rivalry with former Gonzaga head coach Leon Rice and his Boise State Broncos have fans excited for what the future holds.

Not just the men’s basketball program visions this a much more competitive league than the WCC but so does women’s basketball and baseball. It’s yet to see how this will truly affect the WCC but this is a major loss for commissioner Stu Jackson.

A Pac-12 source told Matt Norlander of CBS Sports that Gonzaga is expected to get “something close to” a full revenue share in the new Pac-12. Exact numbers aren’t known yet because there is no media deal in place. All without even having a football program for the Zags.

Something to also keep in mind is that the Pac-12 will be using a shared performance-based revenue sharing system. The conference’s written agreement says that schools will keep 50% of their NCAA Tournament unit money, with the remaining 50% spread equally.

The Pac-12 is continuing conversations with Grand Canyon and Saint Mary’s who both were in the NCAA Tournament this past season. It seems safe to say that both will stay in the WCC for now as the Pac-12 is now shifting to the football side of conference. The Pac-12 still needs to add an eighth football program.

All I ask from the Zags is to keep one of the greatest college basketball rivalries alive and schedule the Gaels during the non-conference every season. It’s a great day to be a Zag.

Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on Twitter @a_cravalho