Can Gonzaga help save the Pac-12?

With Oregon and Washington leaving the Pac-12, the Bulldogs have significant leverage

The Big Ten is in the final stages of negotiating an expansion to include the University of Oregon and the University of Washington, according to multiple reports, leaving the Pac-12 in its most uncertain state in its 108-year history.

UCLA and USC already announced their move to the Big Ten, and it's possible Cal and Stanford follow them at some point. Last week, Colorado announced it's departing for the Big 12 beginning in the 2024-25 academic year, putting all the pressure on Arizona, Arizona State and Utah, three schools Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormack has had his eyes on for a few months now.

The latest reports indicate Arizona is leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 12.

Yormack may be greedy for basketball powerhouses in his conference, but with the Pac-12 in desperation mode to stay afloat, there's a world where its commissioner George Kliavkoff reaches out to schools along the West Coast to gauge their interest in joining a Power Five conference.

It appeared San Diego State was a near lock to join the Pac-12 following the departure of USC and UCLA. The school sent a letter on June 13 to the Mountain West Conference stating its intentions to leave, but withdrew their intentions on June 30. The MWC announced SDSU would remain in the conference for the 2023-24 season, but perhaps the recent realignment upheaval can reopen those conversations with the Pac-12.

SMU would give the conference a Texas presence, though the school would have to pay a hefty amount to leave the AAC. Boise State is another regional option, but it's not the biggest market out there. Fresno State brings some football success and would strengthen California ties. There are a few known options, but what about Gonzaga?

Geographically it makes sense, of course. The issue arises when it comes to media rights and the fact that the school doesn't have a football program. Basketball drives about 20% of most media rights deals, which is why no Power Five conference has a basketball-only member. Gonzaga and the West Coast Conference have negotiated a unique deal that's unlike most revenue splits, but whether a similar deal can be struck elsewhere seems unlikely in this landscape.

It's precisely why regents and boards from the University of Washington to Arizona universities had been meeting so frequently in the last few days — the Pac-12's media rights proposal, which is primarily a subscription-based Apple streaming deal for its television contract that expires after this school year.

The first year of what's expected to be a relatively short-term contract with Apple would start in 2024-25 and begin low relative to the Pac-12's hopes. But the deal, sources said, would incrementally improve and potentially be competitive with its peers in the Big 12 and ACC down the road if certain subscription numbers are met.

Before any move is made, Gonzaga would have to consider the potential ambiguity surrounding the value of the Pac-12, which would be hanging in the balance based on the number of subscriptions. Gonzaga is also not a research-based institution that the Pac-12 values in its members.

But anything is certainly possible with the Pac-12 in desperation mode and seemingly no rules when it comes to conference realignment.