HONOLULU, HI - NOVEMBER 21: The Gonzaga Bulldogs logo on a pair of shorts during a college basketball game against the Syracuse Orange on day two of the Allstate Maui Invitational at the SimpliFi Arena at Stan Sheriff Center on November 21, 2023 in … (Mitchell Layton / Getty Images)
The Pac-12 is in discussions with basketball powerhouse Gonzaga to join the rebuilding conference in 2026, three people with knowledge of the talks told The Associated Press on Monday.
The Pac-12 is also targeting Mountain West schools UNLV and Utah State, two of the people said, as it pivots away from a group of American Athletic Conference schools that announced they remain committed to their current league. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the Pac-12's strategy is not being made public.
Meanwhile, the Mountain West received a commitment from Air Force to stay put in the conference after the school had drawn interest from the AAC, a person with knowledge of AFA's decision told the AP on condition of anonymity.
Memphis, Tulane, South Florida, UTSA and the American Athletic Conference released a statement that made no mention of the Pac-12, but several people with knowledge of those talks told AP that the rebuilding conference had targeted those schools as potential new members.
"While we acknowledge receiving interest in our institutions from other conferences, we firmly believe that it is in our individual and collective best interests to uphold our commitment to each other," the schools said. "Together, we will continue to modernize the conference, elevate the student-athlete experience, achieve championship-winning successes, and build the future."
The Pac-12 began to restock for a 2026 relaunch two weeks ago by landing Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State from the Mountain West to join Washington State and Oregon State, the only two Pac-12 schools left after a dramatic round of realignment took effect this summer.
The Pac-12 needs at least two more members in all sports to reach the eight required to be a recognized conference with access to NCAA championships and the College Football Playoff in 2026.
Adding Gonzaga would give the Pac-12 one of the best men's basketball programs in the country. The Bulldogs have reached the NCAA Tournament every year it has been played since 1998, with two Final Four appearances and eight seasons of at least 30 victories. Gonzaga does not have a football program.
That would still leave the Pac-12 in need of two more schools that play football.