Gonzaga and the Big 12 Conference are in discussions to bring the Zags into the league, ESPN reported Wednesday.
Talks between Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark and Gonzaga athletic director Chris Standiford took place in Texas last week.
While the conversations are described as “active,” there is no imminent realignment as Standiford is known to have also held open dialogue with officials from the Big East and Pac-12.
The Big 12 and broadcast and media partners ESPN and Fox are near a massive contract, and Gonzaga could be a very attractive option given its national appeal.
Gonzaga’s athletic success is built around the men’s basketball team, and the Big 12 features the past two national champions in Kansas and Baylor.
The conference is set to lose Texas and Oklahoma to the Southeastern Conference and Yormark openly declared the Big 12 “open for business” when asked if the league would reach as far as Arizona, Oregon and Washington in considering replacements for the two power programs.
Gonzaga currently belongs to the mid-major West Coast Conference.
–Field Level Media
