ESPN report: Gonzaga set to join rebuilt Pac-12 Conference on Tuesday

Gonzaga is set to join the Pac-12 Tuesday, with an official announcement coming soon, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Kyle Bonagura.

Initially, there were conflicting reports regarding Gonzaga’s move out west. Action Network’s Brett McMurphy reported the school would depart the West Coast Conference to join the Pac-12.

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein said there was nothing concrete. But after a week, Gonzaga is set to make it official.

To meet the minimum requirements for a conference in the NCAA, the Pac-12 needs eight programs with football programs. They reached six earlier this month by adding Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Colorado State to the remaining members post-realignment in Oregon State and Washington State.

However, Gonzaga has not fielded a football team since 1941. That would leave the Pac-12 with seven total members if the reported addition of the ‘Zags takes place. Still, they’d remain two shy of the necessary threshold.

The initial reports came hours after three potential options decided against joining the Pac-12. Memphis, Tulane, and South Florida had offers to come into the conference, which would have pushed the total to 10, including nine in football when including the Bulldogs, but instead wanted to remain as members of the AAC.

With this, though, the Pac-12 is set to add one of the best programs in recent history in college basketball with Gonzaga. The Bulldogs have appeared in the NCAA Tournament in every season that it has been held during the 2000s.

That’s a quarter century of success under Mark Few where they’ve gone 716-143 (.834) overall.

The Bulldogs have won 41 of a possible 50 total conference titles in that time in the West Coast Conference. They’ve also been a No. 1 seed in five of the last 11 years in March Madness. They’ve made regular appearances in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight during his tenure with two Final Fours that led to appearances in the national title game in 2017 and 2021.

Gonzaga has been a part of the WCC since 1989-1990.

Sam Gillenwater contributed to this report