Gonzaga’s athletics director shot down a report linking the school to the Pac-12.
Veteran sports writer Brett McMurphy reported Monday that the Bulldogs were soon to jump from the West Coast Conference to the Pac-12, receiving a full conference revenue share despite not having a football team. Several other national reporters refuted the reported deal, noting that though Gonzaga had had discussions with the Pac-12, nothing was official.
Jim Meehan, who covers Gonzaga for the Spokane (Wash.) Spokesman Review, took it a step further. He quoted Bulldogs AD Chris Standiford directly saying “That is not accurate reporting,” in response to McMurphy’s report.
Gonzaga has become national brand in basketball despite its low-profile conference affiliation. Since 1999, the Bulldogs have made 14 trips to the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 and earned six berths in the Elite Eight since 1999, including national runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2021.
The Pac-12 is looking to re-populate its ranks after 10 members left for the Big Ten, Big 12 or ACC in the last year-plus, leaving only Oregon State and Washington State among its permanent members. Last week, four Mountain West schools — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State— agreed to join the Pac-12 for the 2026-27 athletic year.
Earlier Monday, four members of the AAC — Memphis, South Florida, Texas-San Antonio and Tulane — announced they were staying in their current league despite offers to join the Pac-12. Conferences are required to have at least 10 members in order to hold a championship game and receive a cut of the College Football Playoff revenue pool.
