SPOKANE, Wash. — Reports indicate that Gonzaga may have caught the eye of the Big 12 Conference. Presidents and athletic directors for the Big 12 are meeting today in Dallas, and CBS Sports reports that Gonzaga is on the agenda.
The Big 12 has an interest in adding the Zags as a basketball-only member, Chris Dodd reports.
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark and Gonzaga athletic director Chris Standiford previously met in November, according to a report by Brett McMurphy with Action Network. At that time, he reported there was “growing mutual interest” in Gonzaga joining the Big 12.
"This is a monumental move for the Gonzaga Bulldogs if it were to happen," Andy Patton with Locked on Zags said.
Adding Gonzaga would further build the Big 12's reputation as a college basketball powerhouse.
"You have Kansas, you have Baylor, you have TCU, you have Iowa State, you have Kansas State. You have this monstrous basketball conference. You have Houston coming in next year. That's a huge addition to be joining the Big 12," Patton explained.
The talks about Gonzaga moving from the West Coast Conference are not new. Gonzaga has built itself into a national brand for college basketball. Previous talks have revolved around the Zags joining the Big East or Pac-12, in addition to interest from the Big 12.
While the Big 12 has had previous discussions about Gonzaga, these new talks are expected to include financial details Patton said.
A fellow WCC member, BYU, is already leaving for the Big 12 at the end of this school year. That means one less competitive school for the Zags.
The Gonzaga men’s basketball team is up to No. 12 in the latest AP Top 25 College Basketball Poll. The Bulldogs are 18-4 overall on the season and 7-1 in conference play.
The Gonzaga women's basketball team is ranked No. 17 in their latest AP Poll. The Gonzaga women have now won 14 games in a row. The Zags are 21-2 overall and 11-0 in WCC play.
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