Gonzaga Men's Basketball Conference: Wcc's Top Team

what conference is gonzaga men

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are an intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University. The team has been competing in the West Coast Conference (WCC) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and has been invited to the NCAA Tournament every year since 1999. In 2024, Gonzaga accepted an invitation to join the Pac-12 Conference, partnering with seven other universities to form a formidable basketball powerhouse.

Characteristics Values
Name of the team Gonzaga Bulldogs
University Gonzaga University
Current Conference West Coast Conference (WCC)
Division Division I
Athletic Association National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
Home ground McCarthey Athletic Center, Spokane, Washington
No. of WCC Player of the Year awards 15
No. of consecutive NCAA tournaments attended 23
Streak of consecutive WCC tournament finals All but one since 1995
Streak of consecutive conference title games All since 1998
No. of WCC tournament titles 16
No. of WCC titles 78
No. of All-Americans 138
No. of NCAA Tournament appearances in Women's Basketball 15
No. of 30-win seasons in baseball over the last eight years 6
No. of consecutive women's rowing WCC titles 9

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Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball team

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Gonzaga University. The team competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and is a member of the West Coast Conference (WCC). The Gonzaga Bulldogs play their home games at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington, on the university campus.

The Bulldogs have experienced significant success in recent years, establishing themselves as a major basketball power within the WCC. They have appeared in every NCAA tournament since 1999, advancing to the Elite Eight that year and making a return trip to the Final Four in 2017 and 2021. The team has also been a consistent presence in the AP polls, appearing in every final poll since the 2008-09 season and boasting an active weekly poll streak of 143 weeks from the 2016-17 season to January 15, 2024.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs have produced several notable players, including Frank Burgess and Adam Morrison, who led the nation in scoring during their respective eras. The team's success has also contributed to the WCC's reputation, with the conference making its presence felt nationally in men's basketball.

In addition to their on-court achievements, the Bulldogs have also broken attendance records. In 2008, a sold-out crowd of 16,763 spectators watched the Bulldogs take on Connecticut, setting a new benchmark for regular-season college basketball attendance in the state.

Looking ahead, Gonzaga University has accepted an invitation to join the Pac-12 Conference, commencing in 2026. This move is part of the conference's expansion strategy, aiming to solidify its position as the "best-in-the-west." The addition of Gonzaga's basketball excellence is expected to amplify the athletic prowess of the Pac-12, creating a formidable basketball powerhouse.

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West Coast Conference

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are an intercollegiate men's basketball program representing Gonzaga University. The school competes in the West Coast Conference (WCC) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Gonzaga Bulldogs play their home basketball games at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington, on the university campus.

The West Coast Conference sponsors 15 sports, but football is not one of them. San Diego, which plays in the Pioneer Football League, is the only school in the conference with a football team. The rest have all dropped the sport, some as early as the 1940s before the conference existed (Gonzaga and Portland), and one as late as 2003 (Saint Mary's).

Historically, the WCC's strongest sports have been soccer and tennis. The conference has also made its presence felt nationally in men's basketball. San Francisco won two consecutive national titles in the 1950s with all-time great Bill Russell. Although the WCAC's stature declined in the 1960s, San Francisco was considered a "'major' basketball power" until the early 1980s.

Gonzaga has had a very successful run in the WCC, appearing in all but one WCC tournament final since 1995 and playing for the conference title every year since 1998. They have also been to 23 consecutive NCAA tournaments, the longest streak for any school in the Western United States. In the 2016–17 season, the Bulldogs advanced to the national championship game, losing to North Carolina. They returned to the Final Four in 2021, losing to Baylor in the championship game.

In 2024, Gonzaga accepted an invitation to join the Pac-12 Conference, beginning in 2026. This move is part of the Pac-12's expansion strategy, which includes adding seven other universities to solidify its "best-in-the-west" status and build a formidable basketball powerhouse.

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NCAA Tournament appearances

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are an intercollegiate men's basketball programme representing Gonzaga University. The team has had a lot of success in the NCAA Tournament, making 26 or 27 consecutive appearances since 1999 (as of April 2025).

Gonzaga has established itself as a major basketball power in a mid-major conference since the mid-1990s. They have appeared in every NCAA tournament since 1999, making a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight in that year. The Bulldogs have also made nine straight Sweet 16 appearances from 2015 to 2024. Their combined record is 47–27 (.635).

The 2020-21 season was historic for the team, as they went 26–0 in the regular season and were the final undefeated team in the country. They earned the #1 overall seed in the tournament and progressed to the national championship game, beating Norfolk State, Oklahoma, Creighton, USC, and UCLA along the way.

In the 2016-17 season, the Bulldogs went to their first-ever Final Four, advancing to the national championship game, where they lost to North Carolina. They returned to the Final Four in 2021 but lost to Baylor in the final.

Gonzaga's biggest rivalry is with fellow West Coast Conference foe Saint Mary's. Analysts and media members have touted the Gaels vs. Zags as one of the best college basketball rivalries on the West Coast, as both teams have consistently been the top two in the conference over the last two decades.

In October 2024, Gonzaga accepted an invitation to join the Pac-12 Conference, which includes universities such as Boise State University, Colorado State University, and San Diego State University. The addition of Gonzaga to the Pac-12 boosts the league's men's basketball reputation and solidifies its "best-in-the-west" expansion strategy.

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Gonzaga's basketball players in the NBA

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are an intercollegiate men's basketball programme representing Gonzaga University. The school competes in the West Coast Conference (WCC) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Gonzaga Bulldogs play their home games at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington, on the university campus. The team has enjoyed a great deal of success in recent years, making it to the NCAA tournament every year since 1999 and appearing in every final AP poll since the 2008-09 season. They have also appeared in all but one WCC conference title game since 1995 and in every conference title game since 1998, winning 16 of them.

Gonzaga has produced several notable basketball players who have gone on to successful careers in the NBA. The university is one of the best schools in the nation at developing NBA talent, with 11 former Gonzaga players active in the NBA at the start of the 2024-25 season. This includes Rui Hachimura of the Los Angeles Lakers, Zach Collins, entering his seventh NBA season, and Victor Wembanyama, a 7-foot-4 French player known for his all-around skills. Kelly Olynyk, a 33-year-old veteran, has also adapted his game to fit the modern NBA, showcasing his playmaking and high basketball IQ. Other notable Gonzaga alumni in the NBA include Brandon Clarke of the Memphis Grizzlies, and former players Adam Morrison and Frank Burgess, who led the nation in scoring during their time at Gonzaga.

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Pac-12 Conference

The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States. It participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I in all sports, and its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level of NCAA football competition. The Pac-12 is nicknamed the "Conference of Champions" and has won more NCAA national championships in team sports than any other conference in history.

The modern Pac-12 Conference was formed after the disbanding of the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC), whose principal members founded the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU) in 1959. The conference previously went by the names Big Five, Big Six, Pacific-8, and Pacific-10. The Pac-12 moniker was adopted in 2011 with the addition of Colorado and Utah. The roots of the Pac-12 Conference go back to December 2, 1915, when the PCC was founded at the Imperial Hotel in Portland, Oregon, during the annual meeting of the Northwest Conference schools.

In 2024, 10 of the 12 members departed from the conference, leaving just Oregon State University and Washington State University. The Pac-12 is currently operating as a two-team conference through the 2025–26 academic year, sponsoring five sports: baseball, football, track and field, women's gymnastics, and wrestling.

In 2024, the Pac-12 Conference invited Gonzaga University to join as its eighth member, starting in 2026. Gonzaga's basketball excellence is expected to amplify the overall athletic and football prowess of the New Era Pac-12. The addition of Gonzaga provides a boost to the league's men's basketball reputation and is complemented by recent success from future and current members. Gonzaga has had a very successful basketball program, with 15 of its players receiving the WCC Player of the Year award and two players leading the nation in scoring. They have been to every NCAA tournament held since 1999 and have appeared in every final AP poll since the 2008–09 season.

Frequently asked questions

The Gonzaga Bulldogs are in the West Coast Conference (WCC) Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Gonzaga has had 15 of its players receive the WCC Player of the Year award.

The Gonzaga Bulldogs play home games at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington.

Gonzaga has appeared in all but one WCC Tournament Final since 1995, and they have played for the conference title every year since 1998.

Gonzaga's biggest rivalry is with fellow West Coast Conference foe Saint Mary's.

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