Conversations between Texas State and the Pac-12 are heating up. But the two entities don’t have much time until a potential arrangement between the two would get much more expensive.
Here’s a look at several new conference realignment developments.
Texas State’s Pac-12 Offer Expected
Texas State is reportedly expecting an invite from the Pac-12 soon and has told the Sun Belt of that development, per ESPN.
The offer hasn’t happened yet. However, both parties likely want to move fast. The Pac-12 needs eight full-time members by the 2026-27 academic year to meet the minimum for an FBS conference. The conference is currently at seven full-time members.
Texas State’s exit fee to depart from the Sun Belt by 2026-27 is currently $5 million, but that jumps to $10 million on July 1 – next Tuesday.
Sacramento State’s FBS Transition Waiver Denied
Sacramento State has been ambitious about its efforts to jump up to the FBS. But those hopes were dashed a bit this week.
The NCAA Division I Council voted against granting Sac State’s waiver to transition to the FBS as an independent program.
This was after the NCAA Football Oversight Committee recommended to the Division I Council that it not support Sac State’s waiver request. The DI Council had ultimate decision-making power in this instance.
Sac State filed an application to transition to the FBS as an independent program with the NCAA. The school had dedicated plenty of financial resources to become ready for a move like this.
However, the decision-makers at the FBS level didn’t approve of Sac State going to the FBS, in part because the school hasn’t received an invite from a conference. The Hornets were seeking to play as an independent program by 2026.
Sac State notified the Big Sky that it intends to leave the FCS league effective next year. The Hornets would be an independent FCS program and would play in the Big West in other sports as things stand now.
Sac State leaders seemed undeterred by this news, however.
“Sacramento State has met every meaningful benchmark for FBS membership,” Sacramento State President Luke Wood wrote on Twitter/X, “and we believe our university, our students, and the entire Sacramento region deserve major college football. We’re full steam ahead and we still plan to be playing FBS football in 2026.”
Southern Utah & Utah Tech Joining The Big Sky
With Sac State on the way out, the Big Sky is adding new teams. Southern Utah, a former Big Sky school, and Utah Tech will reportedly be going to the Big Sky beginning in the 2026-27 school year.
Southern Utah was in the Big Sky until 2022 when it went to the WAC and now plays football in the UAC. Utah Tech, which recently jumped up to Division I, also competes in those conferences currently.
Considering the Big Sky has members in the western United States, including Weber State in Utah, this move certainly makes sense. This will give the conference 11 full-time members with Sac State on the way out. Cal Poly and UC Davis are also members for football only.
