Pac-12 plans rebuild, adding four Mountain West schools
By Jill Martin, CNN
(CNN) — After a mass exodus of schools, the Pac-12 Conference is working on a revival.
The conference announced Thursday that four schools from the Mountain West Conference – Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State – will be admitted to the Pac-12, effective from July 1, 2026.
Conference realignment in the last couple of years has left the Pac-12 with just two schools: Oregon State and Washington State. According to NCAA bylaws, in order to be classified as a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conference, there needs to be at least eight schools.
In April, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors decided the Pac-12 would no longer be an autonomous conference, which was effective August 2, and is currently classified as a nonautonomous FBS conference. The conference is in the midst of a two-year grace period to work to meet the requirements of an FBS conference.
The Pac-12 was decimated when 10 schools left: Stanford and Cal moved on to the opposite end of the country to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Washington, Oregon, USC and UCLA went to the Big Ten Conference. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah joined the Big 12.
“For over a century, the Pac-12 Conference has been recognized as a leading brand in intercollegiate athletics,” Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould said. “We will continue to pursue bold cutting-edge opportunities for growth and progress, to best serve our member institutions and student-athletes. I am thankful to our board for their efforts to welcome Boise State University, Colorado State University, California State University, Fresno, and San Diego State University to the conference. An exciting new era for the Pac-12 Conference begins today.”
Ahead of Thursday’s Pac-12 announcement, Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez had released a statement about the then-pending news.
“The Mountain West Conference is aware of media reports regarding the potential departure of several of our members, and we will have more to say in the days ahead,” Nevarez said.
“All members will be held to the Conference bylaws and policies should they elect to depart. The requirements of the scheduling agreement will apply to the Pac-12 should they admit Mountain West members. Our Board of Directors is meeting to determine our next steps. The Mountain West has a proud 25-year history and will continue to thrive in the years ahead.”
When reached by CNN on Thursday following the Pac-12’s announcement, the Mountain West did not have an updated statement.
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