Why Gonzaga's dominance of the West Coast Conference may never be repeated

Gonzaga won almost exactly 90% of their WCC games under coach Mark Few

Saint Mary's Gaels head coach Randy Bennett (left) and Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few (right). | Photo by Myk Crawford

Tuesday, June 30, 2026, marks the final day of Gonzaga's 46-year run as a member of the West Coast Conference, with the school transitioning into the new-look Pac-12 officially on July 1.

Even though Saint Mary's clipped Gonzaga in two of the last three regular seasons, it's fair to say GU's run in the WCC under coach Mark Few is the most dominant stretch any team has had in any conference in the history of college basketball - a stretch that almost certainly won't ever be repeated.

Gonzaga went a nearly incomprehensible 377-42 in the WCC dating back to 1999, an astonishing win rate of 89.98%. The Zags won 23 of a possible 27 regular-season titles, and 21 of the 27 WCC Tournament championships - while making it to the championship game every single season. Sure, the tournament format changed to favor higher-seeded teams, but that wasn't always the case - and still the Zags made sure they were in that title game year in and year out.

Of the 42 WCC losses Gonzaga took under Few, 18 of them came at the hands of the Gaels, making them far and away the toughest opponent this league threw at the Zags. Three of the four non-Gonzaga regular-season titles went to Saint Mary's, while the lone other win was Pepperdine back in 2000.

Removing Gonzaga's 52-18 record against Saint Mary's from the equation, the Zags beat everyone else in the WCC to the tune of a 325-24 (93.1%) record. That includes a 55-2 record against Pepperdine, 51-3 against San Diego, 48-3 against Portland, 51-4 against LMU, 54-6 against Santa Clara, 58-4 against San Francisco, and a perfect 23-0 record against Pacific.

Most dominant ever?

Miles Byrd (21) defends Nolan Hickman (11) during Gonzaga's home game vs. San Diego State | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

There have been plenty of other dominant programs in the college basketball world, but the sustained success of Gonzaga has never - and likely will never - be replicated.

UCLA was an absolute wagon under John Wooden in the Pac-8, going 91-7 (92.9%) from 1968-1975, including three straight undefeated seasons in conference play. However, that stretch did not last after Wooden's departure, and while UCLA remained among the best teams in the Pac-10 and eventually the Pac-12, they weren't on Gonzaga's level of dominance.

The closest in the modern era is Kansas, who went from Hall of Fame head coach Roy Williams to Hall of Fame head coach Bill Self and dominated the Big 12 for a 30 year stretch from 1989-2020, going 406-95 (81%) including an undefeated regular season in 2001-02 and four one loss seasons in 2019-20, 2009-10, 1997-98, and 1996-97.

While the win rate falls short of Gonzaga's, it's obviously notable that the Big 12 in that stretch was a tougher league than the WCC was during GU's run. Still, the idea that Gonzaga's dominance was simply due to a weaker conference has always been silly - if it was so easy, why have no other mid-major programs ever come close to this level of success?

New Mexico State went 178-54 (76.7%) in the WAC from 2005-2020, Murray State went 274-68 (80.1%) in the OVC from 2003-2022, and Vermont has gone 326-78 (80.7%) in the America East dating back to 2001, but none of them reached Gonzaga's level - especially with the WCC ranking higher than any of those conferences during that stretch as well.

Can Gonzaga sustain success in Pac-12?

Gonzaga forwards Graham Ike (13) and Braden Huff (34). | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Gonzaga is set up to be the premier basketball brand in the Pac-12, which will include five former Mountain West schools in Boise State, Utah State, Colorado State, San Diego State, and Fresno State, as well as Texas State from the Sun Belt and original Pac-12 members Washington State and Oregon State.

The Zags are getting a full share of the Pac-12 media rights deal, giving them an advantage financially without having to share their revenue with a football program. That alone should keep Gonzaga at the top of the conference on a regular basis, but both SDSU and Utah State will present bigger challenges than GU is used to in league play - while the bottom of the conference won't roll over quite as easily as Pacific, Portland, and San Diego regularly did.

Expecting a 90% win rate in Pac-12 play will almost certainly lead to disappointment for Gonzaga fans, especially with the team adjusting to new road trips, new arenas, and new coaches, but the Zags should still be among the winningest teams in the country year in and year out.