Pac-12 welcomes basketball powerhouse Gonzaga

Gonzaga University announced today that it has accepted an invitation to join the Pac-12 Conference, becoming the eighth university to begin the membership transition in the rebuilding of the century-old athletic conference. The partnership is being hailed as an exciting chapter in the conference's expansion history as it strategically builds a formidable basketball powerhouse.

"Today represents an exciting milestone for the Pac-12 as we welcome another outstanding institution with a rich history of success into our league," said conference Commissioner Teresa Gould.

The Bulldogs will join the conference effective July 1, 2026, with competition beginning for all conference sports sponsored by the university in the 2026-27 academic year.

Oregon State University and Washington State University are currently operating as members of the Pac-12 Conference as part of a NCAA two-year grace period and will continue to do so for the 2025-26 academic season before the six new members officially join. The collective eight universities will collaboratively chart additional membership and other future conference considerations.

Today's full announcement can be viewed online at the Pac-12 Conference website.