How Gonzaga and teams leaving Mountain West to join Pac-12 will impact conference in basketball
Written by CBS SPORTS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED on October 2, 2024
The Pac-12 is rebuilding, and perhaps the biggest addition (thus far) came on Tuesday when the “Conference of Champions” plucked Gonzaga away from the WCC. Gonzaga will join Mountain West programs Utah State, Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Fresno State in the new-look conference on July 1, 2026.
The second wave of the Pac-12’s plan to become an officially recognized conference comes after Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, and South Florida reaffirmed their commitment to remain in the AAC after the Pac-12 pursued them to join.
With Oregon State and Washington State remaining in the Pac-12 due to being left out of the first round of conference realignment that saw Cal and Stanford leave for the ACC; Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington depart for the Big Ten and Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah exit for the Big 12, the door remained open for the Pac-12 to rebuild from the ground up.
From a college basketball perspective, the additions of some of the top programs from the Mountain West — considered the most exciting mid-major league in the sport last season — gives the Pac-12 a launching board to rebuild. The addition of Gonzaga is even more notable based on the success the program has had over the last two decades.
The Bulldogs have appeared in the NCAA Tournament in every season the tournament has been held since the 1998-99 campaign and have reached the second weekend of the tournament nine consecutive years. Gonzaga most recently reached the Final Four in 2021 before falling to Baylor in the national title game.
Boise State, Colorado State, Utah State and San Diego State all reached the NCAA Tournament this past season and the MWC has had recent success in the NCAA Tournament — highlighted by San Diego State reaching the Final Four last spring.
The college basketball landscape will look different for the upcoming 2024-25 season due to the various realignment moves within the sport. Here is the expected impact the four Mountain West members will bring to the Pac-12 starting during the 2026-27 season.
Gonzaga
This is the biggest addition of the current realignment cycle from a college basketball perspective. Gonzaga immediately is the face of the new-look conference because of the historical success the program has had under Mark Few. The Bulldogs’ move to the Pac-12 could ignite a rivalry with San Diego State — a program that has had similar success over the last decade in hoops. Adding Gonzaga to the conference is a no-brainer for Pac-12 commissioner Theresa Gould. The only drawback with this move is that Gonzaga doesn’t have a football program.
Boise State
On the surface, Boise State may seem like a more attractive move on the football side for the Pac-12, but the basketball program can also offer something to the new-look conference. The Broncos have reached the NCAA Tournament the last three seasons under longtime coach Leon Rice, and, as CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter noted, Boise State should immediately be one of the top contenders in the league. A recipe for success (when joining a new conference) can be determined by program tradition, recent success and recruiting/coaching pedigree. Boise State checks the first two boxes off because they have won at least 20 games in 10 of the last 12 seasons and have a coach who’s been with the program since the 2010-11 season.
Colorado State
Similar to Boise State, Colorado State has also had success in reaching the NCAA Tournament in recent years. The Rams have been to the Big Dance in two of the last three seasons under rising coaching star Niko Medved and have won at least 20 games in four of his six seasons at the helm of the program. Medved has been a name that has come up for several high-profile coaching openings this past cycle, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a power conference program hire him to run their program before Colorado State has a chance to play a game as a member of the Pac-12. For now, Colorado State’s program is in great shape.
Fresno State
Fresno State’s claim-to-frame on the basketball side is having one of the top NBA players of the 2010s: Paul George. Outside of that, Fresno State hasn’t had much on-court success in the last two decades, reaching the NCAA Tournament just once (2016) since the turn of the century. The Bulldogs had a breakthrough season during the 2021-22 campaign, winning 23 games. In the last two seasons, Fresno State has won 23 games total. The ramp-up to the Pac-12 could be steep for the Bulldogs.
San Diego State
Of the four MWC programs joining the Pac-12, San Diego State is set up best for success. The Aztecs have been one of the best mid-major programs over the last two decades, reaching the NCAA Tournament 11 times since the 2009-10 season. SDSU made a run to the national championship in 2023 and reached the Sweet 16 this past spring. SDSU coach Brian Dutcher is one of the most underrated coaches in the sport, and this should be a perfect fit for a program that is more than ready to take the next leap.
Utah State
Utah State should add value to the league on the basketball side. The Aggies have reached the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five years it was held, which includes appearances under three different coaches. The program lost coach Danny Sprinkle to the vacant job at Washington and replaced him with former Youngstown State coach Jerrod Calhoun. Utah State is a solid addition to the Pac-12 from a basketball standpoint, and they will enter the conference with consistent NCAA Tournament appearances dating back to the late 1990s.
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