College realignment: What Gonzaga’s move to Pac-12 means for Saint Mary’s, Santa Clara, USF

Basketball powerhouse Gonzaga usually plays three games in the Bay Area each season, but that tradition is coming to an end. 

After weeks of rumors, Gonzaga officially announced on Tuesday its intention to leave the West Coast Conference and join the Pac-12 as a non-football affiliate starting in 2026.

The three Bay Area WCC schools – Saint Mary’s, Santa Clara and San Francisco – will feel the ripple effects as the conference’s biggest draw leaves after 46 years of membership.

“Gonzaga has been a valued member of the WCC for more than four decades,” the WCC said in a statement on Tuesday. “While the evolving collegiate athletics landscape continues to drive significant changes, including conference realignment, we remain focused on the future.”

Gonzaga joins a conference that will include newcomers San Diego State, Colorado State, Utah State, Fresno State and Boise State, along with holdovers Washington State and Oregon State – all teams that have gone to the NCAA Tournament at least once in the last 10 years. 

Saint Mary’s declined to comment about Gonzaga’s move to the Pac-12 on Tuesday. Santa Clara and San Francisco did not respond to messages left by the Bay Area News Group.

The WCC’s prestige will certainly take a hit with Gonzaga’s departure, but some feel that St. Mary’s, Santa Clara and USF could have an opportunity to rise to the top of the conference with Gonzaga gone.

Former USF coach and longtime college basketball analyst Dan Belluomini said the Bay Area WCC schools are stronger than what they used to be and could capitalize on Gonzaga’s exit in two years. 

“All these schools are getting a lot better,” Belluomini told the Bay Area News Group on Tuesday. “It’s going to give everybody a chance to kind of revitalize themselves. Some schools may be saying, ‘Now we got a chance to win without Gonzaga here.’”

For St. Mary’s basketball alumni and current Moreau Catholic basketball coach Frank Knight, memories of the rivalry with Gonzaga run deep. Knight played guard for the Gaels in the late 1990s and remains close to the program led by the highly successful Randy Bennett. Knight even proposed to his wife at halftime of a Saint Mary’s-Gonzaga game. 

“It was always a big game between two rivals and we always respected each other,” Knight said. “Matt Santangelo, who played for Gonzaga, is a good friend of mine. Richie Frahm is a good friend of mine. Even though we didn’t like each other, and we still kind of don’t, we still respected each other because our teams were really good.”

While Gonzaga has been the class of the WCC, the gap between it and the Bay Area WCC schools and the Spokane, Wash., powerhouse has gotten closer through the years. 

Gonzaga has a 44-14 all-time record against Saint Mary’s. But since 2022, Saint Mary’s has won four of five matchups against Gonzaga, including this past season’s WCC Tournament title game. 

Santa Clara also has started to hold its own against the Zags.

Sitting courtside at the Leavey Center last season, SCU legend Steve Nash watched his alma mater break a 26-game losing streak to Gonzaga, 77-76. The Zags were ranked 23rd nationally at the time.

“It’s a tremendous win for our program,” Santa Clara coach Herb Sendek said after the January game. “I think it’s a special moment.”

According to a report on Tuesday from ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura, Saint Mary’s had preliminary talks about joining the Pac-12 itself. But, the report noted, the Pac-12 will now shift its focus to adding a football-playing school after Gonzaga’s decision to join the conference.

That said, Knight isn’t convinced his alma mater will stay put.

“I think Saint Mary’s is going to follow,” Knight said. “They have a huge rivalry between the two schools. Both fan bases respect each other, but also want to continue to play against each other.

“It’s hard for me to see a league without Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga both in it.”