What does Spokane have in common with Lubbock, Morgantown and Waco? They are all shitholes no reasonable person would want to visit. Now, this isn’t the only reason Gonzaga moving to the Big XII makes a lot of sense. But it doesn’t hurt.
Gonzaga is a snug fit for the Big XII on a few levels. Let’s start with an obvious one, the religious angle. The Bulldogs are similar to TCU, Baylor and BYU in that they are all schools with a theological bend. Simply put, there aren’t many conferences out there willing to touch private institutions who seemingly operate by a different set of rules.
On the court, you can make a case for the Big XII being the second-best college basketball conference in the nation. Seeing the Zags face off against Kansas, Baylor and Oklahoma State twice a year will be good. Trips to UCF and Kansas State not as much. Personally, I enjoy those West Coast Conference matchups against the likes of Portland and Santa Clara but losing those won’t harm the sport.
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Some may scoff at Gonzaga joining the Big XII from a geographical perspective, but culturally it is a better fit than the Pac-12. Pullman, home of Washington State, and Spokane are only 90 miles apart, but they feel a world away. Spo-Compton, as it is known by some in the Inland Northwest, aligns more with the Midwest than West Coast.
It is very much a hillbilly outpost filled with racists and mouth breathers. In that regard, Gonzaga is ideal for the Big XII. Seriously, people in Spokane would get along famously with those elsewhere in the conference. Apart from Arizona, Pac-12 cities and schools look down upon the Bulldogs and their annoying fanbase.
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The only real downside of Gonzaga possibly moving to the Big XII would be what happens to McCarthey Athletic Center, the school’s intimidating home also known as The Kennel. At 6,000 seats, it would be the smallest arena in the conference. TCU and Houston are the only other schools with capacities less than 10,000.
It feels like high-profile games may end up being moved to Spokane Arena which would be a massive negative for the team. As awful as the Bulldogs’ fanbase is, they given them a serious home court advantage. Now, maybe the money they get from the Big XII offsets the need to play in a bigger venue. But in college sports, greed usually wins out.
That being said, greed isn’t what is driving Gonzaga to the Big XII. Sure, the extra money is enticing. But the Zags are also a good cultural and performance fit for those losers in Texas and the Midwest. Of course, who knows if the recently reported talks go anywhere.
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