Gonzaga Basketball: Impact of a Potential Move to the Big 12

Impact for the Big 12

Times are changing for the Big 12. The conference shed four members during the conference realignment from a decade ago, but this round is going to be even more drastic. Oklahoma and Texas are set to join the SEC, while four new schools are coming to the Big 12 next year to get the conference back up to twelve members. BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, and UCF each bring something major to this new-look Big 12.

The addition of Gonzaga would be even more significant. Since the Bulldogs lack a football program, we can only really focus on the basketball side of the equation. Right now, Baylor and Kansas are both elite programs, with recent resurgences at schools like TCU and Texas Tech. We’re already throwing a very talented Houston program into the mix, and Gonzaga is even more potent. We’re talking about creating one of the best college basketball conferences in recent memory.

However, perhaps there’s also some reason for skepticism. There are only so many pieces of the pie, and a league with Baylor, Gonzaga, Houston, and Kansas would have negative repercussions as well. Ever since Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and Syracuse joined the ACC, none of those programs have been at the same level as when they were in the Big East. We don’t expect Gonzaga to struggle in a new conference, though watching how this very top-heavy league unfolded in the coming decades would be thrilling.