Gonzaga to the Big 12 very much alive
Gonzaga's potential move to the Big 12 is still very much alive after conference commissioner Brett Yormark recently met with Bulldogs' head coach Mark Few in Spokane, Gonzaga Nation confirmed on Friday.
Yormark's trip to the Inland Northwest comes a week after he provided clarity on the topic at the Big 12 women's basketball media day, in which he stated that "there's nothing imminent" and that he's open to all options that will create "value for membership." Yormark reportedly wanted the Zags to join by the 2024-25 season, but league members had a "laundry list" of questions over revenue sharing and scheduling that Yormark would need to bring to Gonzaga first.
While some league members disliked the idea of sharing TV revenue with a non-football school, Yormark's idea to "create value" is based on the idea of having separate TV contracts for Big 12 football and basketball. The media rights deal with ESPN and Fox gave the conference the option to bifurcate the two sports in the next deal, which wouldn't take effect until 2031. Currently, the Big 12 is reworking its media deal in regard to revenue distribution per school now that Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are set to join in 2024.
Still, Yormark reportedly received "overwhelming support" to explore Gonzaga's inclusion from some conference athletic directors and presidents. Soon after that report from Front Office Sports, college basketball insider Andy Katz reported last week that "there is momentum shifting" in favor of the Big 12 bringing in the Zags.
There are a lot of financial implications to sort out on both sides, and there's no timetable for when everything will be sorted out. If talks advance far enough that the Big 12 members come together to vote on the Bulldogs, they would need at least 75% of the league to vote "yes." Timing is important here — if a vote came before June 30, 2024, then the Zags would need nine of the 12 schools' approval. If the vote comes after the four former Pac-12 schools officially join the league on July 1, then 12 of the 16 members would have to approve.
