The Pac-12’s rebirth is official, and Gonzaga is now part of it.
As of Wednesday, the Bulldogs are members of the conference, with July 1, 2026 marking the start of the new academic year and the launch of a rebuilt Pac-12 that somehow survived after being left on the brink with only Oregon State and Washington State still standing. The league’s survival came fast and aggressive, with OSU and WSU pulling in Boise State, San Diego State, Utah State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Texas State, and Gonzaga to keep the 108-year-old conference alive.
For Gonzaga, the move takes the program into a football conference for the first time. But basketball is the headliner here, and the shift gives the Zags a much stronger home as college athletics keeps changing under the NIL era. The full picture is still coming into focus, including the Pac-12’s media rights deal and conference tournament setup, but the direction is already clear: this is a meaningful step up from the West Coast Conference.
It’s not the old Pac-12 with UCLA, Arizona, Oregon, USC, Stanford and Washington. That version is gone. But the new one still brings Gonzaga into a better competitive and financial space.
San Diego State and Utah State stand out immediately as strong basketball programs with big fan bases, and Gonzaga’s history against SDSU gives that matchup the feel of a built-in rivalry, almost a replacement for Saint Mary’s. Boise State adds another layer because it is coached by former Gonzaga assistant Leon Rice, and the schools have not met since he took over in 2010. That gives their 2026-27 meeting a little extra juice.
The Bulldogs already had rivalry energy with Oregon State and Washington State in the WCC, even if neither school was a major threat there. That dynamic could get even better now, especially with Justin Joyner taking over in Corvallis.
The biggest change, though, may be the money and exposure. The Pac-12’s media deal has not been fully detailed, but it includes CBS, The CW, USA Network, and a direct-to-consumer package through Pac-12 Enterprises.
Even the low end of the estimates - $8 million annually - is well beyond what Gonzaga was making in the WCC. And the added time on linear television should only help the Zags’ brand, while a deeper league should also sharpen their strength of schedule for NCAA Tournament purposes.
Gonzaga is bringing all of its sports into the Pac-12, not just men’s basketball. That matters for Lisa Fortier’s women’s program, too, with San Diego State, Colorado State, and Oregon State giving the conference far more credibility than the WCC ever offered on the women’s side.
Baseball should benefit as well. Oregon State’s history and recent success give Gonzaga a major anchor in the new league, while SDSU and Texas State also bring quality. The Bulldogs have also added affiliate member Dallas Baptist, another program with a strong track record on the diamond.
For a Jesuit school in Spokane, Wash., this is a remarkable turn. Gonzaga’s rise under Mark Few, along with strong support from the university and a clear commitment to athletics, has led to a move that once seemed out of reach. Now it is real, and 2026-27 shapes up as a season of celebration in a new chapter that has officially begun.
In Other News...
Gonzaga's New Portal Guard Comes With One Huge Catch
Skylar Wicks has already given Gonzaga something to watch in the portal cycle, with the veteran guard committing for the 2026-27 season and set to join a backcourt that also includes Nathan De Sousa and other newcomers. It is the kind of addition that fits the Bulldogs annual need to keep reloading in the backcourt, especially with a player who has bounced across multiple colleges and brings a well-traveled rsum into Spokane.
Wicks path, though, comes with the kind of lingering uncertainty that can hang over a roster before it even takes shape. He has been seeking an NCAA waiver to extend his eligibility after a college career that has stretched back to 2020 and included an injury-shortened stint at UTSA, and until that process plays out, Gonzaga is left waiting to know whether one of its newest guards will actually be available when the season arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Former Gonzaga Commit Jack Kayil Just Took Another Turn From Spokane
Jack Kayils path away from Spokane has taken another sharp turn. The former Gonzaga commit, once viewed as a potential backcourt piece for Mark Few, stayed in the 2026 NBA draft and heard his name called with the 39th pick before his rights were moved to the New York Knicks. For a program that had been mapping out a significant role for him, it is another reminder of how quickly international prospects can reshape a roster plan.
Kayil arrives at this stage with plenty of professional credibility already. He earned Bundesliga Under-22 Player of the Year honors last season with Alba Berlin, which only added to the appeal that had made him such an intriguing fit for Gonzaga in the first place. For the Bulldogs, the intrigue now shifts from how he might have fit in Spokane to how his career develops from here and what his decision says about the increasingly global recruiting battles around college basketball. [Read more 🡒]
Former Gonzaga Walk-On Is Latest Zag To Climb The Coaching Ladder
Will Graves is back on the West Coast and back on the sideline, taking the next step in a coaching path that has been building since his playing days. The former Gonzaga walk-on has been hired as an assistant coach at Portland State, adding another name to the growing list of Bulldogs-connected figures moving into the profession.
Graves arrived there after two seasons as a graduate assistant under Todd Golden at Florida, and before that he logged stops at Gonzaga, Lane Community College and Southern Oregon. Portland State coach Jase Coburn singled out Graves basketball knowledge and player development work in announcing the move, a sign the Vikings are adding a young coach with a broad enough background to keep climbing. [Read more 🡒]