Suppose Dan Monson got the ball rolling for the Gonzaga Bulldogs after taking the school to the Elite Eight in 1999, his final season before taking the Minnesota Golden Gophers job. In that case, Mark Few has taken every step since to ensure the ball will never stop rolling.
In Few’s 25 seasons as coach, there have been 24 NCAA Tournaments. Gonzaga has appeared in every one of them.
Few’s accolades with the Bulldogs jump off the page. His 715 wins are a school record and make him one of six active head men’s basketball coaches with 700 or more wins. He’s taken Gonzaga to the Sweet 16 or further 12 times and has won the West Coast Conference regular season 22 times and the West Coast Conference Tournament 19 times.
For years, fans and pundits alike wondered when Gonzaga would branch out from the WCC and join a major conference. In the era of realignment, they’ve certainly had opportunities, with repeated interest from the Big East, Big 12, and Pac-12. For one reason or another, it never worked out for the Bulldogs.
That changed Tuesday when CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reported that the Bulldogs have accepted an invitation to join the Pac-12, which the conference confirmed shortly later.
Breaking: Gonzaga has agreed to join the Pac-12, sources confirm to @CBSSports.
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) October 1, 2024
Gonzaga’s inclusion in the conference makes sense. The Pac-12 is trying to relaunch in 2026, featuring teams from the Mountain West and old Pac-12. They provide an immediate national presence for men’s basketball. Football is a bit of a non-factor here, as Gonzaga’s football team last played in 1941.
Either way, this marks a big step in the right direction for both Gonzaga and the retooled Pac-12.
[Matt Norlander, Pac-12 Conference]
