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Gonzaga Basketball: Bulldogs made the right move in staying in the WCC

By Tristan Freeman

GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 01: Gonzaga Bulldogs fans cheer outside the stadium before the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 01: Gonzaga Bulldogs fans cheer outside the stadium before the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 1, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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After weeks of speculation, Gonzaga has ultimately decided to stay in the West Coast Conference. From my perspective, it was the right thing to do.

Last season, Wichita State finally made the move from the Missouri Valley Conference to the American Athletic Conference, feeling that they had outgrown their mid-major league.

Gonzaga was considering the same thing, with reports coming out that the Bulldogs and the Mountain West were in discussions about making a move. It would be an elevation in competition for Mark Few and his team, but other issues make this a far from obvious choice.

But a decision has been made, with Gonzaga Athletic Director Mike Roth announcing that the program will be staying in the WCC for the time being.

This is huge for the West Coast Conference, who made a number of concessions to keep the Bulldogs around. They had to, considering that there was no replacement anywhere near having the prestige that Gonzaga currently has.

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The reaction from fans from Spokane and elsewhere has been mixed, but the majority of them were disappointed by this. A number of Gonzaga followers have grown tired of the WCC and the overall lack of competition and looked forward to playing different teams.

But I think this was a solid decision by those who make them at Gonzaga. When the news originally broke out, I wrote an article listing three reasons why the Bulldogs shouldn’t make a move now. The biggest one to me was the impact it would’ve had on Television.

Both the Mountain West and the WCC each have their TV deals expiring in a couple of years. Both conferences work with ESPN, but the Mountain West also has CBSSN as well. Gonzaga would prefer to stay with the Worldwide Leader in Sports, where they have access to be seen a lot more and continue to showcase their program.

There really is no rush for a move to happen from the Bulldog’s perspective. The Mountain West would welcome them at any time, and this program has shown that they can have success in the NCAA Tournament, evident by being the only active school with four straight Sweet Sixteen appearances.

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The year to watch for Gonzaga will be after the 2019-20 season, where a number of deals concerning the players involved with this will be expiring. That could force some hands in terms of decisions that will impact both leagues.

But until then, it’s the same as usual for the Bulldogs – dominating the WCC.