Pac-12 expansion: Gonzaga set to join conference as focus shifts to basketball

The Pac-12 was set to land the biggest prize available during its rebuilding phase as basketball powerhouse Gonzaga will join the conference in the summer of 2026, the conference announced Tuesday.

The Zags, a member of the West Coast Conference since 1979, represent a massive victory and major strategic shift for the reconstituted Pac-12.

After membership offers were rejected by three schools in the American Athletic Conference and then UNLV, which opted to remain in the Mountain West, the rebuilt Pac-12 remained one full-time member short of the eight schools needed for NCAA certification.

Instead of focusing on football schools to satisfy the requirement, the Pac-12 instead engaged in a full-throttle pursuit of the Zags, who would be a partial member because they don’t sponsor football.

But they are the biggest brand available and will instantly transform the Pac-12’s lineup of basketball programs, which includes San Diego State, the 2023 NCAA Tournament finalists.

The Zags have pursued membership in other conferences in recent years, with the Big 12 atop the list of potential landing spots. But the conference ultimately passed, in part because Gonzaga’s status as a non-football school makes the finances tricky.

But the Pac-12 carries a significantly lower media valuation than the Big 12, and that changes the calculation.

The financial terms have not been disclosed.

ESPN first reported the news.

Where the conference turns for its eighth full-time member remains to be seen. Texas State is believed to be under consideration.

But Gonzaga’s presence could make the Pac-12 more attractive to schools that previously passed on membership opportunities.

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