Monday was a chaotic day for the Pac-12 conference and its goals of expansion. First, the conference was rebuffed by four top targets in the American Athletic Conference – Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, and South Florida – who all decided to band together in the AAC.
Then, reports surfaced that UNLV was planning to do something similar with the Mountain West, instantly pulling five of the Pac-12’s most desired targets off the market.
Soon after it was reported – incorrectly – that the Pac-12 had offered a full share to the Gonzaga Bulldogs as a non-football member and that the offer had been accepted. That was quickly rebuffed, although it does sound like talks between Gonzaga and the Pac-12 will continue.
Finally, after a day of chaos, the Pac-12 extended an invitation to Utah State which was reportedly accepted – although as of this writing no formal announcement from the Pac-12 has been made. Stealing Utah State from the Mountain West could result in the Pac-12 landing UNLV after all, as the Rebels’ deal with the MWC was predicated on the rest of the conference sticking together.
With the dust settling, it’s clear the Pac-12 is left without nearly as many options as commissioner Teresa Gould had hoped. Geography is now the focus for the Pac-12, although the league likely doesn’t want to be made up entirely of former Mountain West schools.
One option the Pac-12 could lean into is building a very strong men’s basketball conference, having already added four schools that made the NCAA Tournament last year in Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and (assuming it’s confirmed) Utah State.
The league can do that by prioritizing non-football programs, like Gonzaga, which most believe won’t cost the Pac-12 as much money to build. The conference needs at least one more football team to reach FBS eligibility, and there are plenty of good basketball programs with football that make sense for the Pac-12 to target – especially if they are willing to keep tapping into the Mountain West.
Non-Football Schools
Gonzaga is the obvious option here, the biggest college brand in the country that doesn’t have football attached to it. Located in Spokane, about 75 miles from Pullman where Washington State resides, Gonzaga is a geographic fit and immediately adds a perennial national championship contender to the Pac-12 in men’s basketball, where the Zags have made eight straight Sweet 16 appearances and two national championships dating back to 2016.
Adding Gonzaga’s longtime rival in the WCC, Saint Mary’s, makes sense as well. Although the Gaels are a far smaller school, with less resources, the men’s basketball program has consistently been one of the better mid-major programs in all of college basketball under Randy Bennett for 20 years.
The Zags and Gaels alone would be a big boost to the Pac-12’s basketball competitiveness, but the league doesn’t have to stop there. Grand Canyon is set to join the WCC in 2025-26, and as one of the premier basketball programs on the west coast, the ‘Lopes would make a quality non-football addition to the Pac-12 alongside Gonzaga and SMC. Grand Canyon is likely a lot less interested in the WCC without those two teams, and while GCU is a for profit institution which bothers some folks, there is little doubt the facilities, resources, and fanbase is at a level worthy of inclusion in the Pac-12.
Lastly, while the geography is less than ideal, the Pac-12 could make an offer to Wichita State out of the American. The Shockers aren’t a great fit in the AAC without football, and would very likely jump at the opportunity to join a basketball league with Gonzaga, San Diego State, Grand Canyon, St. Mary’s, and others.
Football Schools
Despite getting raided by the Pac-12 already, the Mountain West still has two programs who made the NCAA Tournament last year in Nevada and New Mexico.
Nevada is not a top target for the Pac-12, although in a scenario where the league is prioritizing basketball it could make sense if they thought they could bring both Nevada and UNLV into the league.
New Mexico is the other successful men’s basketball program in the Mountain West, although like Nevada the football side of things would serve only to bring the competitiveness of the league down.
Verdict
A 14-team league with 10 football programs may not be exactly what the Pac-12 was hoping for, especially with those 10 football teams all coming from the Mountain West outside of Oregon State and Washington State, but the league would still be an above average football conference while boasting a formidable lineup of men’s basketball programs on par with some of the strongest conferences in the sport.
This 14-team basketball league features 10 teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season: Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, San Diego State, Utah State, Grand Canyon, Boise State, Colorado State, Washington State, New Mexico, and Nevada, while UNLV won 20+ games as well.
Is it a perfect solution for the Pac-12? No, but it gives them a niche in the second biggest revenue generating sport in the country while also putting together a decently competitive – albeit unexciting – football league as well.