Pac-12 is in talks with basketball heavyweight Gonzaga to join the newly formed league in 2026, according to AP sources

The Pac-12 is in talks with basketball heavyweight Gonzaga about joining the conference in the rebuilding year of 2026, three people familiar with the talks told the Associated Press on Monday.

The Pac-12 is also targeting Mountain West schools UNLV and Utah State, two of the people said, as it moves away from a group of American Athletic Conference schools that have said they will remain loyal to their current league. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the Pac-12's strategy is not made public.

Memphis, Tulane, South Florida, UTSA and the American Athletic Conference released a statement that made no mention of the Pac-12, but several people with knowledge of those talks told AP that the rebuilding conference has targeted those schools as potential new members.

“While we recognize the interest other conferences have in our facilities, we firmly believe it is in our individual and collective best interest to maintain our commitments to each other,” the schools said. “Together, we will continue to modernize the conference, enhance the student-athlete experience, achieve championship-winning success and shape the future.”

The Pac-12 began reshuffling for a 2026 freshman season two weeks ago, bringing Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State from the Mountain West to join Washington State and Oregon State, the only two Pac-12 schools remaining after a dramatic round of realignment.

The Pac-12 needs at least two more members in all sports to reach the required eight members to be a recognized conference with access to the NCAA Championships and the College Football Playoff in 2026.

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Follow Ralph D. Russo on https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

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