Pac-12 poaches schools from the Mountain West to join Oregon State and Washington State as conference rebuilds

The Pac-12 is poaching four Mountain West schools to join Oregon State and Washington State in a bid to keep the league. Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Fresno State applied for Pac-12 membership and all were accepted, the conference announced Thursday. The quartet will officially become Pac-12 members on July 1, 2026.

Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Fresno State are arguably the top brands in the traditional Mountain West; all four schools have been considered for membership in a power conference in the past. With the four moving on before the 2026 season, the Pac-12 now only needs to add two more programs to reach the eight-school NCAA threshold and be considered as an FBS conference.

“For over a century, the Pac-12 Conference has been recognized as the leading brand in college sports,” Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould said in a statement. “We will continue to pursue bold, innovative opportunities for growth and advancement to best serve our member institutions and student-athletes. I am grateful to our Board of Directors for its efforts in welcoming 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.”

Ten of the twelve former Pac-12 programs left the conference in 2024 as the league's rights expired. Four schools moved to the Big Ten (Oregon, UCLA, USC, Washington), four to the Big 12 (Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah) and two to the ACC (California, Stanford), leaving the status of Oregon State and Washington State still uncertain.

The pair, who fought through a legal battle to win the rights to the Pac-12 and its remaining finances, will compete as de facto FBS independents for the next two seasons, though they are not automatically eligible for the College Football Playoff. The two remaining Pac-12 programs, however, have a massive war chest with $250 million in available funds, mostly payouts from NCAA tournament entities and existing media rights deals.

According to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, buying four Mountain West schools in one year will cost about $187 million, and the Pac-12's existing resources could be used to make up the difference.

“The Mountain West Conference is aware of media reports regarding the potential withdrawal of several of our members and we will have more to say in the coming days,” Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement to CBS Sports. “All members must abide by the Conference's bylaws and policies should they choose to withdraw. The appointment requirements will apply to the Pac-12 should it accept members from the Mountain West. Our board is meeting to determine our next steps. The Mountain West has a proud 25-year history and will continue to thrive in the years to come.”

The long-term goal of expansion is to try to rebuild the Pac-12 as a competitive league. The next step will be to find at least two more programs that match or exceed the quality of the six members to meet the NCAA minimum for admission to the FBS conference.

Stanford and California are likely to be courted, but it is unclear whether the recent departures will be able to opt out of the new rights-transfer agreements signed with the ACC. Other top Group of Five teams from around the country could also enter the competition.

The key will be to find a lucrative television partner willing to provide the appropriate amount of money, as this was the original conflict that led to the demise of the traditional Pac-12.

Last week, Oregon State, Washington State and the Mountain West decided do not extend a scheduling partnership through the 2025 season. According to several reports, the Pac-12 teams hoped to reduce their payout to the Mountain West in order to maintain the agreement.