Washington State, Rebuilt Pac-12 Welcome New Opponent in Gonzaga

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Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Adam Miller (23) runs the lane against Washington State Cougars guard Ace Glass (21) in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images [/caption]

With the rebuilt Pac-12 officially launching on July 1, the Washington State Cougars have a new conference home. While membership varies by sport, the Cougars no longer will have to piece together schedules as they have since the Pac-12 began to dissolve in 2023.

Now that league has kicked off operations, Emerald City Spectrum will be taking a look at each of Washington State's new conference opponents in football and men's basketball. First up on the docket is a school located just over an hour north of Pullman and the closest Pac-12 opponent to the Cougars as the Gonzaga Bulldogs enter the conference.

Gonzaga will join the Pac-12 in every varsity sport it sponsors, including men's and women's basketball. Because the university does not have a football program and has no intentions of changing that anytime soon, men's basketball serves as the flagship athletic program and the department's biggest revenue generator.

The move to the Pac-12 gives Gonzaga a significant boost both competitively and financially. On the court, the Bulldogs will now play conference games against programs such as San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State, Utah State, Oregon State, and Washington State, providing a much deeper league than the West Coast Conference. Off the court, Gonzaga is expected to benefit from the Pac-12's new media rights agreement and conference revenue distribution while continuing to generate substantial NCAA Tournament revenue through its consistent postseason success.

Although Gonzaga will not receive a full football share because it does not sponsor the sport, the Bulldogs are still expected to receive a significant portion of Pac-12 conference revenue through basketball media rights and NCAA Tournament distributions. Gonzaga's consistent deep tournament runs under coach Mark Few have made it one of the nation's most valuable basketball brands, and those NCAA Tournament "units" earned by the program will now benefit the Pac-12 as a whole, strengthening the conference's overall financial position.

Gonzaga's men's basketball program has been one of the most successful in college basketball over the past quarter century. Since 1999, the Bulldogs have qualified for every NCAA Tournament and have advanced to two national championship games while becoming a perennial national title contender.

In addition, Gonzaga’s women's basketball program has enjoyed impressive success as well. Since 2009, the Bulldogs have reached the NCAA Tournament 15 times, advancing to five Sweet 16 appearances and one Elite Eight.

For Washington State, Gonzaga's addition immediately raises the profile of the new Pac-12, at least away from the gridiron. The Bulldogs bring one of the most recognizable brands in college basketball, consistent national success, and valuable television appeal. Combined with the conference's other strong basketball programs, Gonzaga gives the rebuilt Pac-12 another marquee program capable of competing on the national stage while helping strengthen the conference's long-term financial future.