The Mountain West Conference Explores Expansion Talks with Gonzaga and Other Schools

The Mountain West Conference has engaged in discussions with six universities about potentially joining the conference, with a focus on renowned basketball program Gonzaga. These talks could lead to Gonzaga's inclusion in the conference as early as next season, as reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune on Wednesday.

MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson has confirmed that he has had "exploratory" conversations with presidents and/or athletic directors from various universities. However, he specifically mentioned Gonzaga from the West Coast Conference as one of the universities involved in these discussions.

According to the report, Gonzaga is becoming increasingly frustrated with its current conference, the WCC. The university feels that it is subsidizing the rest of the league with its impressive record of 19 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Last year's Final Four appearance alone brought in $8.55 million in revenue.

The question remains: Is Gonzaga simply seeking better financial arrangements within its current conference, or is it genuinely exploring a move to the MWC?

Although Thompson did not disclose the names of the other potential expansion candidates, he did indicate that Brigham Young University (BYU) was not among them.

However, the Union-Tribune's report mentioned that multiple unidentified sources suggested that BYU, which was a founding member of the MWC in 1999 but departed in 2011, would consider a return, specifically in basketball, if Gonzaga were to join. Currently, BYU is an independent football program and competes in the WCC for most other sports.

This discussion is primarily driven by television rights. The MWC's current deal with CBS and ESPN will expire after the 2019-20 basketball season. BYU's eight-year agreement with ESPN to broadcast its home football games will also conclude after the 2018 season. It is important to note that ESPN is the primary rights-holder for WCC basketball.