Gonzaga accepts invite to join Pac-12

Bulldogs will leave the West Coast Conference and join the reimagined Pac-12 Conference effective July 2026

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Gonzaga has accepted an invitation to join the Pac-12 Conference, the school confirmed in a news release Tuesday.

Effective July 1, 2026, the Bulldogs will be the eighth full-time member of the Pac-12. They'll join Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Fresno State, Utah State, Washington State and Oregon State. 

“We are delighted to welcome Gonzaga into the Pac-12 as they embark with us on this incredible path ahead," Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould said in a news release. “President McCulloh and athletics director Chris 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. Today represents an exciting milestone for the Pac-12 as we welcome another outstanding institution with a rich history of success into our league.”

Dubbed the “best-in-the-west expansion strategy,” the Pac-12 has put together one of the more formidable basketball leagues in the country over the past few weeks. Gonzaga is the only program in the country to appear in each of the last nine Sweet 16s, matching the longest streak since the NCAA Tournament expanded in 1985, as well as five Elite Eight appearances over the last nine NCAA Tournaments. Along with San Diego State, the national runner-up in 2023, as well Boise State, Colorado State, Utah State and WSU, the new-look Pac-12 features six NCAA Tournament teams from a season ago, plus another that made the Elite Eight just a few years ago in Oregon State.

Football, meanwhile, still remains a priority for Gould and the rest of the Pac-12’s leadership. The league will need to add at least one more football school to be recognized as an FBS conference by the NCAA. Gould and company have targeted a few schools in the past few weeks, including a handful of institutions from Conference USA and the Mountain West.

Football will likely determine what sort of media rights deal the Pac-12 will be able to negotiate. Multiple reports have hinted that member schools could receive anywhere from $10-$15 million annually, though it remains unclear which television or streaming network would be sitting at the table. It’s also unknown if Gonzaga would receive a full revenue share once it joins the conference. 

On the flip side, the Pac-12’s newest members combined to bring home 11 units — or roughly $22 million in payouts — from the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Those royalties will likely stay with the Mountain West and West Coast Conference, as is usual in any realignment move, but also remember the Pac-12 has an abundance of resources from the 10 schools that left the league over the past two years.

“Following discussions with Pac-12 member presidents, I believe membership will represent an opportunity to participate in building a conference that imagines new, forward-thinking ways to support student-athletes in a rapidly changing collegiate sports landscape,” Gonzaga University President Thayne McCulloh said. “Partnerships with a new group of universities can also assist in our student recruitment and enrollment efforts, create opportunities for academic collaboration with new faculty colleagues, and attract more students who value an excellent education distinctively rooted in our Jesuit identity and tradition. I am particularly excited about the opportunities partnering with this group of institutions can offer our students, faculty, and staff for multi-institutional collaboration.”

As for the WCC, the league will have 10 full-time members once Gonzaga, Oregon State and WSU leave in 2026. The WCC added Grand Canyon and Seattle U as full-time members earlier this spring. Saint Mary's and Grand Canyon have reportedly had the Pac-12 discussions as well, though the league also has to prioritize securing a media rights deal for its current eight members.

“We have been notified of Gonzaga University’s decision to end its membership with the West Coast Conference at the conclusion of the 2025-26 academic year," the WCC said in a statement. Gonzaga has been a valued member of the WCC for more than four decades. During this span, GU has represented the Conference on the national stage with postseason success across several sports. While the evolving collegiate athletics landscape continues to drive significant changes, including conference realignment, we remain focused on the future. The WCC’s collective strength lies in our ability to compete for NCAA championships, our unwavering commitment to enhancing the student-athlete experience, and our strategic approach to membership growth. These pillars will ensure our continued position among the nation’s premier conferences.”

“This is a great day for Gonzaga University,” Standiford said. “We are excited to join a conference with great tradition and a commitment to innovating during this evolving time in collegiate athletics. I’d like to thank Commissioner Teresa Gould for her leadership as these talks progressed earnestly over the weekend, our alignment became evident and our vision shared.”