Gonzaga, UNLV, New Mexico among schools who would help the Pac-12 improve its college basketball profile

The Pac-12 is rebuilding its conference from the ground up, and the first wave of the multistep plan was to poach Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Fresno State away from the Mountain West. The Pac-12 officially added Utah State as the conference’s seventh member on Tuesday, and those five MWC programs will join the new-look conference officially on July 1, 2026.

There is still work the Pac-12 must do before the summer of 2026 to regain its status as a power conference. For starters, the Pac-12 must reach the eight-member threshold to be recognized as an official conference. The Pac-12 attempted to poach Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, and South Florida away from the AAC to reach that mark, but all four reaffirmed their commitment to remain in the conference.

So, where does the Pac-12 turn now? The Mountain West did get a signed grants-of-rights from seven of its current member institutions, including UNLV, according to Yahoo Sports. Without signatures from at least eight schools. The MWC is still in danger of dissolution, and the grant of rights is not binding — meaning that UNLV and Air Force, which has drawn interest from other schools, could still leave. 

Gonzaga has been a rumored target for the Pac-12, but while the Zags have had discussions with the Pac-12, according to CBS Sports Matt Norlander, no decisions have been reached. If Gonzaga joined the Pac-12, it would be the most accomplished program from a basketball perspective, and would add a built-in West Coast rivalry with San Diego State and a geographical one with current Pac-12 members Oregon State and Washington State.

With conference realignment remaining fluid, here are six schools the Pac-12 should consider adding in their next wave of conference realignment with college basketball in mind.

Gonzaga

This would be the biggest addition to the current realignment cycle. Gonzaga would immediately become the face of the new-look conference because of the historical success the program has sustained under Mark Few. Adding the Bulldogs to the Pac-12 would reaffirm a new conference rivalry with San Diego State – a program that has had similar success over the last decade in hoops. 

Adding Gonzaga to the conference should be a no-brainer for Pac-12 commissioner Theresa Gould. The only hurdle with this move is that Gonzaga – like GCU and Saint Mary’s – doesn’t have a football program. Could Gonzaga secure a full revenue share without a football program? That’s a multi-million dollar question.  — Cameron Salerno

Saint Mary’s

Adding a proven winner like Randy Bennett’s Gaels would certainly boost the rebuilt Pac-12’s claim to be considered a true Power 5 league again. Saint Mary’s basketball is awesome, but you don’t need me to tell you that. History sums it up well. 

The Gaels have had a NCAA Tournament-caliber club in six of the past eight seasons. The fact that Saint Mary’s vs. Gonzaga is even a debate is a testament to Bennett’s program-building chops. But Aidan Mahaney’s tough-luck decision to hit the portal for UConn was a brutal reminder that Saint Mary’s is still not at the level of the big boys in college basketball. Could a Pac-12 move help that? — Isaac Trotter

UNLV

Las Vegas is the No. 40 media market in the country, per the DMA Market Rankings. That’s one asset UNLV can bring to the new-look Pac-12. It also helps that Sin City has hosted the Pac-12 title game in basketball and football in recent years. 

As a basketball program, The Rebels would compete in this version of the Pac-12, and jumping conferences could be the perfect storm to elevate the program to new heights. Nevada and UNLV — the two flagship schools in the state — belong in the same conference together. It makes sense for the Pac-12 to bring both of them over from the Mountain West to sustain that in-state conference rivalry. — Salerno

Nevada

Mark Fox won at Nevada. Eric Musselman won at Nevada. And now Steve Alford is winning at Nevada. Five NCAA Tournament appearances in the past eight seasons is no slouch, and Nevada is primed for a massive season in 2024-25. The Wolfpack could certainly be the best team in the Mountain West and should have a case for a third-straight, at-large bid. 

This is a good college basketball program that might only be getting better. Keeping Nevada (and New Mexico and UNLV) in the mix could give the new-look Pac-12 a fierce basketball league with vicious rivalries galore. All the things that made the Mountain West so thrilling every night could be mostly replicated in the Pac-12. — Trotter

Grand Canyon

GCU is the wild card of this bunch. GCU brings in the No. 11 Phoenix media market. Similar to Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga, the one hurdle GCU could face is it doesn’t have a football program, and the move would be basketball-centric. 

The Antelopes have reached the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four years and are on an upward trajectory under coach Bryce Drew. Transitioning from the WAC to the Pac-12 would be a steep level up but the risk would be worth the reward. — Salerno

New Mexico

Playing meaningful basketball is important to New Mexico, and that isn’t changing anytime soon. The Lobos have a phenomenal fan base with excellent attendance and one of the best home-court advantages in the country. It ain’t easy to win at The Pit. Even without elite resources (again, a fancy word for cash), New Mexico has staying power because it has a proof of concept. Richard Pitino has found something with an up-tempo, heat-’em-up style that appeals to guards. 

New Mexico dazzling point guard Donovan Dent is shaping up to be one of the top hoopers in the country this season, and that should give Pitino even more ammunition on the recruiting trail. Pitino has certainly increased the talent level that’s walking through New Mexico’s doors. Pitino has ushered in three of New Mexico’s 10 best recruits of the internet era while stacking intriguing talent out of the portal. Point blank: New Mexico would make Pac-12 basketball even more vicious. — Trotter