The Pac-12's revitalization took another potential step on Monday.

According to multiple reports, Gonzaga and the conference are in discussions to have the Bulldogs join the Pac-12 as a basketball school, though an agreement isn't finalized:

Brett McMurphy of Action Network had previously reported that a deal was complete and that the Bulldogs would receive "a full conference revenue share" despite not participating in football.

Gonzaga athletic director Chris Standiford denied a deal was done, per Jim Meehan of the Spokesman-Review:

The Pac-12 still needs two more football schools to join Oregon State, Washington State, Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State and San Diego State. The conference has until 2026 to have eight football members to be eligible for a potential automatic bid to the College Football Playoff.

The potential alignment comes in the wake of a number of reported Pac-12 targets, prominently Memphis and Tulane, announcing on Monday that they were remaining in the American Athletic Conference:

Both the Pac-12 and AAC were dealt a blow for their own expansion plans, meanwhile, after Air Force recommitted to the Mountain West Conference, per Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports. Air Force is "signing or expected to soon sign a new grant-of-rights deal with financial incentives," according to that report.

With Memphis, Tulane, South Florida, UTSA and Air Force now off the table for the Pac-12, the conference may turn to UNLV and Utah State, as both programs have "already seen the league's expansion presentation," per Dellenger.

The race to either add football programs or retain them has been prompted by two factors: the Pac-12 trying to remake itself after losing all but two members ahead of the 2024 season, and a number of conferences trying to strengthen themselves as much as possible given the College Football Playoff's automatic bid for the five highest-ranked conference champions.

Generally, four of those berths will go to the two powerhouse conferences (SEC, Big Ten) and the two strongest conferences behind them (Big 12, ACC). With that fifth bid up for grabs, however, conferences like the Pac-12, Mountain West and AAC would benefit from stacking themselves with strong football programs in an attempt to ensure a playoff berth each year.

The Pac-12 already raided the Mountain West of their four strongest football programs, but efforts to add some of the top remaining schools on the board have thus far been rebutted.

As for Gonzaga, the Bulldogs would be a fantastic addition on the basketball side of things, though that would do little to aid in the efforts to establish the Pac-12 as the fifth-strongest football conference in the country.

ESPN's Kyle Bonagura added that the Pac-12 and Saint Mary's have had preliminary discussions as well, a potential move that would add another strong basketball program to the conference.