Oregon State AD: Pac-12 will try to add new schools quickly

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes said the rebuilt Pac-12 will try to add at least two more schools for the 2026 class as soon as possible.

“I think John Wooden put it this way: 'Let's be quick, but let's not rush,'” Barnes said Saturday. “Let's do it right, but it's in our best interest to move as quickly as possible.”

The Conference of Champions, which had broken up with the elimination of ten of its teams, announced a new formation on Thursday, with four teams from the Mountain West joining alongside Oregon State and Washington.

The revived Pac-12, featuring Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State, will begin play in 2026. However, the league must have at least eight teams to qualify for automatic entry into the NCAA Championships and the College Football Playoff.

When asked if any teams had expressed interest in joining within 48 hours of the realignment being announced, Barnes simply replied, “Lots.”

Barnes, speaking before the rivalry game between Oregon State and former conference foe Oregon, which moved up to the Big Ten this season, said the league may be able to accommodate more than just the two schools needed to meet the NCAA and CFP hurdles.

“It's very similar to the processes we used to bring in those founding members and the criteria will be very similar. We started in earnest yesterday with our first meeting to look at the situation. There is a lot of interest at this very early stage,” Barnes said.

“I would like to get it done as soon as possible,” he added. “But of course we want to get it right. We are making long-term, historic decisions and we will take plenty of time to make sure we have the right new members. But the sooner we move forward, the better.”

With only two schools in action, the Pac-12 is taking advantage of NCAA rules that allow for a two-year grace period. Currently, the Beavers and Cougars have an agreement with the Mountain West for this season that gives them six opponents from the league each to fill their schedule. The agreement does not extend beyond this season.

Part of the deal included millions in additional fees for the Pac-12 if it poached schools from the Mountain West. In total, the Mountain West Conference could earn $110 million from the restructuring.