Gonzaga will join the Pac-12 in 2026 as the conference's rebuild continues

Gonzaga will join the Pac-12 in 2026 and transform the conference into one of the premier basketball programs in the country as it rebuilds.

Gonzaga will not be a full member of the Pac-12 as a non-football school, meaning the conference still has seven full members. There must be eight by 2026 to meet NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision conference requirements. But for the Pac-12, it's a complement to a men's basketball program that reached the national championship game in 2017 and 2021 and has reached 25 consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Gonzaga's women's basketball program has also made 15 tournament appearances since 2007 and reached the Sweet 16 in 2024.

Gonzaga, based in Spokane, Washington, joins the Pac-12 from the West Coast Conference, where it has represented since 1979.

“After discussions with Pac-12 member presidents, I believe membership will represent an opportunity to participate in building a conference that introduces new, forward-thinking ways to support student-athletes in a rapidly changing collegiate sports landscape,” said Gonzaga President Thayne McCulloh in a statement. “Partnerships with a new group of universities can also support our student recruitment and enrollment efforts, create opportunities for academic collaboration with new faculty colleagues, and attract more students who value an outstanding education that is distinctive in our Jesuit identity and tradition is rooted.”

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The Pac-12, which lost 10 schools to the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC to Oregon State and Washington State, added Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State last month. All are also expected to join in 2026. After an attempt to admit schools from the American Athletic Conference failed, the Pac-12 added Utah State as a seventh full member.

The attempt to add UNLV failed as the Mountain West's six remaining full members, along with football-only member Hawaii, decided to stay together and sign a binding agreement. The Mountain West is expected to add UTEP from Conference USA, a person briefed on the discussions said Tuesday.

With Gonzaga, the Pac-12 creates a formidable men's basketball conference. In addition to the Zags' success, San Diego State participated in the 2023 national championship game and has reached the NCAA Tournament 11 times since 2010, including the last four years. Utah State has reached four of the last five tournaments, and Boise State has reached the tournament in each of the last three years. Gonzaga, coached by Mark Few since 2000, has reached nine straight Sweet 16s.

In the rebuilt Pac-12, College Football Playoff and NCAA men's and women's tournament units, funds will be divided on a performance basis. This emerges from an agreement signed by six schools on September 11th and obtained by The athlete. The schools keep 50 percent of the money earned through their performance, and the remaining 50 percent is divided equally among the other schools. The league will split the tournament costs equally.

This story will be updated.

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(Photo: Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)