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Gonzaga Basketball: Can the WCC convince the Bulldogs to stay?

By Tristan Freeman

BOISE, ID - MARCH 17: The Gonzaga Bulldogs bench reacts during the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Taco Bell Arena on March 17, 2018 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
BOISE, ID - MARCH 17: The Gonzaga Bulldogs bench reacts during the second half against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Taco Bell Arena on March 17, 2018 in Boise, Idaho. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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The West Coast Conference has come out with some changes to combat some issues with their league. Is it enough for Gonzaga to stay, or is it a moot point?

Last season, the conference realignment news surrounded Wichita State, who made it clear they needed to leave the Missouri Valley for greener pastures. The Shockers elected to go to the American Athletic Conference.

Now it’s Gonzaga’s turn. The Bulldogs have clearly outgrown the West Coast Conference, but thanks to geography and a lack of a football team, their options are limited. But an opportunity has arisen with the Mountain West, who is on record having conversations about a possible move.

The momentum has increased in favor of the Zags leaving, with a recent article by Dennis Dobb of CBSSports.com indicating that a decision could come within a couple of weeks. There are some who believe that this is a ploy by Gonzaga to get more money, but they have been unhappy with the league’s basketball issues for years now.

Related Story: A look at Gonzaga's immediate future

The ball was in the WCC’s court, and they made a move of their own. The league’s President’s Council announced some changes, in an effort of strengthening the league.

There were three key changes made. First, there are new guidelines for scheduling in the non-conference. Teams are now going to schedule better, in the hopes of improving the RPI of every team. The conference tournament format also sends the top teams straight to the semifinals, rather than playing a third game.

The change that will have the biggest effect on Gonzaga is the changes to how the money gets split from the NCAA Tournament games. With the Bulldogs consistently being the only team to get in and make the money just for it to be split evenly between all 10 teams, it had to bother the breadwinners all this time. This proposal likely gives the Zags more money.

Next: Why Gonzaga moving to the Mountain West is a bad idea

So now the question is how will Gonzaga respond? These new changes do benefit the Bulldogs, but will it be enough? The Mountain West still offers better basketball, and possibly a bit more money overall. Everyone is putting their cards on the table, but it remains unclear what the Zags will do. Seems it could go either way.