Earlier this month, reports emerged that Gonzaga athletic director Chris Standiford met with Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, exploring the possibility of the Zags joining that league.
That’s the same conference that BYU is joining next season. The Big 12 is home to the last two national champions and is considered the toughest league in college basketball.
Both BYU and Gonzaga are currently members of the West Coast Conference. While the Zags are a national powerhouse, the Cougars have never won a WCC title since joining the league in 2012.
BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF are set to become members of the Big 12 in 2023.
What does Cougar coach Mark Pope think about those reports? Would he welcome Gonzaga also becoming a member of the Big 12?
“I mean, add the Zags, add the Celtics. Why not? How can we make this league any better? It’s ridiculous,” Pope said. “Listen, it’s what we signed up for. So why not make it the best league in the world by 100 times? I’m all for it.
“If it works for the Zags, and it works for the Big 12, why would we not want it? It’s just awesome. (Gonzaga) coach (Mark) Few is so incredible. Then we’d have the team that’s been ranked No. 1 in the country for the last three years and the last two national champions, right? Why not put it all in there together? I think it’s pretty exciting.”