Gonzaga to Join PAC-12 In Basketball, Beginning 2026 Season

ESPN is reporting the PAC-12 announced Tuesday the Gonzaga Bulldogs will be joining the newly refurbished PAC-12 in basketball. They previously were in the WCC or West Coast Conference.

  The Bulldogs will begin PAC-12 play in 2026

Since the PAC-12 as we knew it dissolved, leaving only Washington State and Oregon State behind, the conference has since received commitments from five schools in football, including Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, Colorado State, and Utah State (the most recent).   For the NCAA to recognize the conference for playoff and bowl purposes, they will need to add one more football school.

But it appears in basketball, the league now has the minimum number of 8 with Gonzaga joining.  Sources say the University of Texas El-Paso (UTEP) rejected an offer to join the PAC-12, instead opting for a 'rewards' package to stay in the Mountain West Conference.

According to ESPN:

"Gonzaga is the overhauled Pac-12's eighth member, but it does not count as the league's eighth full-time member, as the school doesn't have football. The Pac-12 still needs to add another member to reach minimum conference thresholds.

Gonzaga will join San Diego State, Colorado State, Utah State, Fresno State, Boise State, Washington State and Oregon State for a strong regional basketball league."

Get our free mobile app

According to NBC4 Washington, all Gonzaga varsity sports for men and women, including baseball, women's hoops, track and field, golf, socce,r and cross country, will also join the PAC-12 as of July 1st, 2026.

Unlike all the new arrivals in the PAC-12 as well as Oregon State, Gonzaga does not have a women's softball team.