Report: Gonzaga AD met with Brett Yormark about joining Big 12

The Big 12 might not be done expanding. Commissioner Brett Yormark met with Gonzaga’s athletic director about joining the conference, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported.

Gonzaga AD Chris Standiford met with Yormark last week in Texas about potentially leaving the West Coast Conference for the Big 12, Thamel wrote Wednesday. The Bulldogs were in the area to take on Tennessee as part of a charity scrimmage.

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Thamel also reported Gonzaga has been exploring a departure from the WCC for some time. The Pac-12 and Big East have emerged as potential destinations, but it’s unclear how extensive those conversations were. Gonzaga has been transparent with the WCC about the discussions.

After Thamel’s report came out, The Athletic’s Dana O’Neil reported the talks are “real, but explorative” and Gonzaga would become a full member of the Big 12. That means the move would affect more than just the basketball program.

If the Big 12 landed Gonzaga, it would add another college basketball powerhouse to the league. Kansas and Baylor have won the last two national championships, and the Bears defeated the Bulldogs to win the 2021 title.

The Big 12 is preparing to add four teams — Houston, Cincinnati, BYU and UCF — next year to help deal with the losses of Texas and Oklahoma, who are leaving for the SEC by 2025. At Big 12 Media Days this year, Yormark said the league is “open for business” as conference realignment dominoes continue to fall. The league also agreed to a new media rights deal last week.

Despite that new media agreement, it didn’t have anything to do with Standiford’s decision to meet with Yormark, Thamel reported.

“It was hinted at,” a person familiar with the Big 12 deal told Thamel. “It came up in a quiet manner. It’s a positive, but it’s not a financial game-changer.”

Gonzaga has become a powerhouse in the WCC, led by head coach Mark Few. The Bulldogs have made the last 23 NCAA Tournaments, including two national championships in 2017 and 2021.

Conference realignment continues to be a big storyline after some major movement this year. In addition to the Big 12 and SEC’s moves, the Big Ten announced it plans to add USC and UCLA by 2024. Those are two huge losses for the Pac-12, which makes Gonzaga’s reported conversations with the Pac-12 even more interesting.