The Pac-12 Conference envisions reconstruction, incorporating four schools from the Mountain West Conference.
The conference declared Thursday that four institutions from the Mountain West Conference – Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State – will join the Pac-12 starting July 1, 2026.
The Pac-12 has faced challenges in recent years, reducing its member schools to only Oregon State and Washington State. As per NCAA guidelines, a conference must have at least eight schools to be classified as a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
In April, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors decided to revoke the Pac-12's autonomous status, effective August 2, classifying it as a nonautonomous FBS conference. The conference now has two years to comply with FBS requirements.
The Pac-12 suffered a significant blow when ten schools departed, with Stanford and Cal migrating to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Washington, Oregon, USC, and UCLA joining the Big Ten, and Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah moving to the Big 12.
Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould stated, "For over a century, the Pac-12 Conference has been a prominent figure in intercollegiate athletics. We will persist in seizing pioneering and innovative opportunities for development and advancement, with the intent of benefiting our member institutions and student-athletes. I'm grateful to our board for their efforts in welcoming Boise State University, Colorado State University, California State University, Fresno, and San Diego State University to the conference. A new and thrilling era for the Pac-12 Conference begins today."
Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez had preemptively issued a statement regarding the potential exits of its members before the Pac-12 announced its decision.
"The Mountain West Conference is aware of rumors concerning potential departures of our members, and we will provide further updates soon," Nevarez said. "Should any members choose to leave, they will be bound by our bylaws and policies. The terms of our scheduling agreement will apply to the Pac-12 should they accept Mountain West members. Our Board of Directors is currently deliberating our next move. The Mountain West has a distinguished 25-year history and will continue to prosper in future years."
When contacted by CNN Thursday in response to the Pac-12's announcement, the Mountain West did not provide an updated statement.
The addition of San Diego State to the Pac-12 will likely boost the conference's competitive sports offerings. Understanding the importance of having at least eight schools in an FBS conference, the Pac-12 is actively seeking to fill its roster.
