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The University of Denver is riding the latest wave of college realignment.
DU is moving from the Summit League to the West Coast Conference in 2026, according to a report by ESPN’s Pete Thamel. The Pioneers will be a member of the conference in nine sports.
A move to the WCC fits the bill for DU, a private school, as the league is comprised of private schools on the West Coast. Though Gonzaga, historically the conference’s best basketball school, is leaving for the rebuilt Pac-12 in 2026, the conference is still a step up for the Pioneers in the college athletics landscape.
The Pioneers have belonged to the Summit League since 2013. Prior to that, DU spent a year in the Western Athletic Conference, was in the Sun Belt from 1999-2012, and was independent from 1962-99. Before that, DU was a part of the Mountain States Athletic Conference.
Basketball-wise, the WCC will be a challenge for DU’s men’s basketball team, which struggled to find a consistent footing in the Summit and has never made an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Pioneers begin the 2025-26 season next week under first-year coach Tim Bergstraser, and haven’t had a winning season since 2016-17.
The school has yet to make a formal announcement about the move, though that is expected to come sometime Friday morning. DU athletics staff members received emails early Friday morning stating there would be a mandatory meeting at 9 a.m., a source told The Denver Post.
This story will be updated.
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Kyle Newman
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