With Gonzaga off to the Pac-12, its biggest rival, Saint Mary’s, is lobbying for a new home. The Gaels are keeping their options open when it comes to conference realignment and would love to join the Zags.
But is that feeling mutual? Does the Pac-12 want to add another basketball school?
The West Coast Conference lost its biggest fish when Gonzaga announced its departure for 2026. Grand Canyon and Seattle are set to make the jump from the WAC to the WCC but they do not bring the same buzz as one of the best mid-major programs in college basketball. San Francisco, Santa Clara and LMU are staying put but they don’t really move the needle either.
Thus, Saint Mary’s would love to move up. President Roger J. Thompson implied on the Joe Beaver Show that he is ready to bail, immediately, if he gets the call.
I love the WCC. It’s a great conference. We’re proud members. But we certainly are keeping all of our options open.
— President Thompson
The Gaels, who already clinched the regular season conference title, are going to miss the Zags. They fully believe in the soon-to-be former rivalry, which has the ratings to back it up!
I think the Saint Mary’s-Gonzaga rivalry is one of the best on the West Coast. I should get the TV numbers (soon), but I suspect it was a little over 1.2 million (viewers). That’s a big number on television.
— President Thompson
Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Oregon State, San Diego State, Washington State and Utah State will make up the new-look Pac-12 in 2026-27. Saint Mary’s, which is going to make the NCAA Tournament for the fourth-straight year, believes it is just as good — if not better — than those teams, historically speaking.
If you put Saint Mary’s in the new Pac-12, we’d have the second-highest NET Ranking over the last 15 years of any school in the league, only behind Gonzaga. And we’d have more NCAA units than anyone other than Gonzaga.
— President Thompson
Of the eight incoming Pac-12 schools, only Fresno State and Washington State are outside of the top 80 in NET rankings and the latter loves to play the spoiler. Gonzaga, SDSU and Utah State are likely going to make March Madness. Boise is right on the bubble. Add Saint Mary’s and five teams could get in.
You’d have arguably one of the strongest basketball conferences in the whole country in my view. I think we’re an interesting thought in that regard.
— President Thompson
The Gaels, like the Zags, do not have a football program. The Pac-12 must first add at least one additional football-playing member to its conference before 2026 to qualify as an FBS conference. That comes first.
From there, the Pac-12 is one baseball-playing member short of receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Saint Mary’s could be that sixth team to secure a conference auto-bid.
The Pac has good baseball teams; Oregon State would be at the top of that. But at the moment, they don’t have the number that they would need for an automatic qualifier. So I think we could help in that area, too.
— President Thomspon
It sounds like President Thompson is chomping at the bit to leave the WCC for the Pac-12. He does not want to lose its most intense rivalry and there is a lot more money — and publicity — to be had in a “power conference.”
It’ll be interesting to see how conference alignment shakes out. We certainly don’t want to lose the rivalry we have with Gonzaga.
— President Thompson
Will the Pac-12 pick up the phone? It seems like Saint Mary’s could be a great add…
The post California Basketball Powerhouse Lobbies For Invite To Pac-12 After Losing Its Biggest Rival appeared first on BroBible.
California Basketball Powerhouse Lobbies For Invite To Pac-12 After Losing Its Biggest Rival
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