Dave Boling: Gonzaga could make the Pac-12 a basketball power, and that’s a good deal for both parties

Sep. 23—So many questions. But so much to like.

Early word surfaced on social media on Monday — and later backtracked — that Gonzaga would soon join whatever shape the newest iteration of the Pacific-12 Conference assumes.

Of course, that doesn’t mean what it once would — with basketball rivalry games against Arizona, UCLA and Washington assured every season — but the possibilities still intrigue.

It’s timely. It’s logical. It should allow the Zags greater earning potential while sustaining the kind of sensible regionality that other affiliation options do not.

In some real (although too-often overlooked) ways, it respects the demands that sports travel makes on the student-athlete.

Previous talks of the Zags linking with the Big East and Big 12 seemed so impractical from the travel standpoint.

And if the other sports are included in the move to the Pac, it should mean a competitive upgrade across the board for the entire department.

A fair amount of skepticism should attend any changing of the recipe for a brand that has been successful over time.

But this era of dramatic change has almost mandated athletic programs find the most solid fiscal footing moving forward.

The West Coast Conference has served Gonzaga reasonably well. But it’s long been obvious that the conference benefited more from GU than the school did from the conference.

The setup hasn’t kept the Zag men from advancing to two national title games and nine straight Sweet 16 games — the longest streak in the nation.

GU has been able to sell every ticket every season, and generally able to construct the kind of powerhouse non-conference schedule that promotes national rankings, NCAA seedings, and a global recognition so appealing to elite recruiting prospects.

None of that has to change. It can, in fact, be much improved.

A future Pac-12 configuration with the Zags that includes Washington State and Oregon State, along with Mountain West defectors Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State and Colorado State, would create a basketball motherlode featuring five NCAA Tournament teams from 2024.

Even WCC rival Saint Mary’s could be in play — ESPN is reporting the Gaels are on the Pac-12’s radar as well.

A six-berth league? Please note that the revered ACC had five berths last March.

San Diego State was in the NCAA title game as recently as 2023, and GU was runnerup in 2021 and 2017.

For decades, games against the lower end of the WCC did nothing but drain GU’s power ratings.

Put together a schedule with these prospective Pac-12 opponents? Every game becomes a must-see.

The fact that GU doesn’t have a football program doesn’t seem to be an impediment to joining the Pac.

So much has to be considered, mostly regarding money — buy-outs, buy-ins, TV deals.

But this seems appealing in so many ways.

Wouldn’t Gonzaga men’s hoops be the showcase program of the entire league, giving the school significant leverage in negotiations.

What are the risks? Change in any regard carries risk, sure. But the power of the Zags’ national brand might be enough to counteract just about anything.

Nobody is too big to fail, but the Zag program seems about as solidly built as just about any in the country. In fact, it seems fair that it should continue to grow.

Details should be forthcoming. Maybe hangups will intercede.

But it’s wild and fun to imagine some of those potentially fierce matchups come conference tournament time, and also the Zags benefiting from such competitive challenges all season long.