Bracketologist Joe Lunardi makes bold claim comparing new Pac-12 to Big East

Gonzaga will join San Diego State, Utah State and others in the new look conference in July

Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark few (left) and assistant coach Brian Michaelson (right). | Photo by Erik Smith

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs are 9-0 and in first place in the West Coast Conference, hoping to win the league one final time before moving to the new-look Pac-12 in the 2026-27 season.

Meanwhile, over in the Mountain West Conference, San Diego State sits atop the league standings at 8-1, while Utah State is just behind them at 7-2 and both teams are comfortably inside the top 50 at KenPom and in the NET rankings. And while it hasn't been the strongest season for Boise State (12-8) or Colorado State (12-8), they are both top 100 NET teams as well.

All these points to a new Pac-12 that should immediately contend as the best non-power conference in college basketball starting in 2026-27, especially considering the expected financial gains each of these programs will have with the new conference media deal.

Joe Lunardi, ESPN's resident bracketologist, agrees with that sentiment and actually took it a step further, claiming the new Pac-12 could contend with the Big East in terms of number of bids in the NCAA Tournament as soon as next season.

"Led by Gonzaga and San Diego State, the new Pac-12 will immediately chase, and perhaps surpass, the Big East in both total bids and percentage of teams making the NCAA tournament," Lunardi wrote on Friday's bracketology report. "Interestingly, both groups have each collected 22 bids since 2020. UConn has its two national titles, but the Zags and SDSU have both played in the title game, and the new Pac-12 will have achieved its total with two fewer schools."

From the bracketologist himself today... The New Pac-12 is coming. 👀

🗣️ @ESPNLunardi pic.twitter.com/CoFRkngEqQ

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) January 24, 2026

The new Pac-12 schools have indeed reached the same number of bids as the Big East in the last half-decade, although the Big East has received higher bids on average, and of course has a pair of titles in that span thanks to UConn.

However, the Pac-12's success is certainly notable, and increased revenue and better schedules - with fewer bottom feeder teams like Air Force and San Jose State in the Mountain West and Pepperdine and Portland in the WCC - should help boost the overall resumes for the top tier teams, who will also have more opportunities to schedule rigorous non-conference slates with only 16 conference games.

Of course, the Pac-12 could make another big move that would likely push them over the Big East by adding Gonzaga's longtime WCC rival Saint Mary's, who have made the NCAA Tournament four straight years - earning a No. 5 seed three times and a No. 7 seed last year.

Gonzaga and Saint Mary's will square off this Saturday evening on ESPN, and a significant TV audience could sway the Pac-12 to consider adding the Gaels on a partial revenue deal to help boost an already strong men's basketball league starting in 2026-27.

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