Colorado State is one of five teams to leave the Mountain West for the Pac-12 beginning in 2026 as the college football world continues to evolve.
The Rams have been in a good position to jump to a power conference. Here’s more information about the decision and how it impacts the sport as a whole.
Reasoning For Colorado State’s Pac-12 Move
Colorado State could make millions of dollars more in its long-term future with the move to the Pac-12.
However, there’s plenty of factors to consider.
Colorado State announced the Rams accepted an invitation to the Pac-12 after the board of directors unanimously voted to bring the team in.
This is an interesting time for the Pac-12, which is currently down to two teams: Oregon State and Washington State. That leaves Colorado State’s new home in a bit of an odd situation.
First, the Pac-12 needs at least eight teams by 2026 to be deemed a legitimate conference by the NCAA. Several programs have been rumored to be considered as targets for the Pac-12.
But many of those potential additions haven’t been in “power” or autonomous leagues, which the Pac-12 once was. An autonomous conference – which the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, and SEC are – brings in more cash from the College Football Playoff and has a bigger say with NCAA decisions. Also, the CFP shrunk its number of automatic qualifying spots for league champions from six to five after the Pac-12 nearly dissolved.
Only time will tell if rebuilding the Pac-12 will lead to the CFP going back to the way it was and if it receives the benefits it once did once 2026 rolls around.
But, reportedly, Pac-12 leaders think the conference can strike a media deal worth more than the Mountain West’s, and money has been a key factor in conference realignment decisions recently.
Either way, CSU is ecstatic about the move.
“We are taking control of our future at CSU by forming an alliance of six peer institutions who will serve as the foundation for a new era of the Pac-12,” Colorado State University president Amy Parsons said in a press release. “This move elevates CSU in a way which benefits all our students, bolsters our core mission, and strengthens our reputation for academic and research excellence. CSU is honored to be among the universities asked to help carry on the history and tradition of the Pac-12 as a highly competitive conference with some of the nation’s leading research institutions.”
When Is Colorado State Joining The Pac-12?
CSU will join the Pac-12 on July 1, 2026. So the Rams’ football team will begin Pac-12 play during the 2026 season.
“This moment has been a long time coming,” CSU athletic director John Weber said in a press release. “I know our students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and fans are hungry for this move and are going to love what comes next as CSU charts a transformational new course as a member of the Pac-12.”
Mountain West Teams Going To The Pac-12
San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State, and Fresno State were the first four teams from the Mountain West to announce they were going to the Pac-12. Then Utah State accepted an invite as well.
Gonzaga will also be going to the Pac-12 for all of the sports it participates in, which doesn’t include football.
“These six institutions (with Oregon State and Washington State) are committed to rebuilding the Pac-12 into an innovative, nimble, conference with sports programs which put student-athletes first, strive to compete at the highest level and deliver amazing fan experiences and compelling content,” Weber said. “This is a historic, transformative moment for CSU and a massive opportunity for our student-athletes. Joining the Pac-12 is an important step forward as we seek to deliver on an ambitious vision for the future of Ram Athletics.”
Pac-12/Mountain West Lawsuit
Several outlets published stories recently about the Pac-12 filing a lawsuit against the Mountain West over its poaching penalties. That number will be more than $50 million depending on how many schools end up going from the Mountain West to the Pac-12.
Those fees are on top of the $17 million per school that the soon-to-be Pac-12 members will have to pay for leaving the Mountain West, though the Pac-12 will cover some or all of that.
The poaching penalties were part of the scheduling alliance that the Pac-12 and Mountain West made for this past season.
The Pac-12’s argument is it’s an antitrust issue. The conference allegedly is claiming it had no choice but to agree to that deal because most of the conference’s teams had left and the league had only a few months to come up with a schedule for the 2024 season.
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Colorado State’s Mountain West Buyout & Pac-12 Poaching Penalties
Colorado State and every team leaving the Mountain West will have to pay the conference $17 million just for leaving the league with a minimum notice of one year. Any notice less than that amount of time would’ve been $34 million.
As part of the Pac-12/Mountain West scheduling agreement made last year, the MW will also be owed at least roughly $55 million in poaching penalties for the five teams going to the Pac-12.
One Mountain West team would’ve cost the Pac-12 $10 million, while two would’ve been $20.5 million. Five teams is $55 million, and six would be $67.5 million.
But money shouldn’t be an overwhelming obstacle in the long run. The former Pac-12 teams paid Washington State and Oregon State a $65 million settlement. The Pac-12 will also have at least $190 million in future revenue.
Pac-12 & Mountain West Scheduling Arrangement
The Pac-2, so Oregon State and Washington State, put together a scheduling alliance with the Mountain West for the 2024 season.
Mountain West teams scheduled seven games against conference opponents with another being against either OSU or WSU. But those two weren’t eligible for the Mountain West Championship.
The two schools were to pay the Mountain West $14 million for this deal, per Yahoo Sports.
Teams That Left The Pac-12
USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington went to the Big Ten. Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah are now in the Big 12. And Cal and Stanford are now competing in the ACC.
That leaves just Oregon State and Washington State in the Pac-12 for at least 2024 and 2025.
Pac-12 2024 Conference Realignment News
The Mountain West announced it is bringing in UTEP, which is currently a member of Conference USA and was believed by some to be a potential target for the Pac-12.
UTEP is joining a conference that’s stronger in terms of on-the-field performance.
And that’s not including the five teams which will be members of the Pac-12 in two years. For example, Air Force and UNLV reached the AP Top 25 the past two seasons.
There’s also familiarity with the Miners and the other current Mountain West teams, as UTEP played against all of those programs while in the Western Athletic Conference.
UTEP’s decision appears to be financially sound as well. The money made from the Mountain West’s TV deal could be more than four times as much as UTEP is making with Conference USA’s. That’s going off of the current numbers of those deals, and that could of course end up changing with so many teams leaving the Mountain West, which has a TV deal that will reportedly expire after next season.
UTEP will become a member of the Mountain West on July 1, 2026. The Miners’ football team will begin Mountain West play during the 2026 season.
“There’s no doubt this will be better for our student-athletes, our fans, and for El Paso,” UTEP president Heather Wilson said in a press release. “We look forward to rekindling former rivalries and welcoming teams and their fans to El Paso.”
UNLV, Air Force To Remain In The Mountain West
UNLV, Air Force, and the Mountain West’s remaining full-time members have reportedly recommitted to staying in the Mountain West despite interest from the Pac-12 and AAC.
Air Force was reportedly being considered as an addition for the AAC before Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State announced they were going anywhere.
The move would’ve made sense for the Falcons. They could have joined a league with Army and Navy and could have avoided the uncertainty that the Mountain West is looking at. Air Force also doesn’t play too far from Denver, which provides some benefits as well.
Instead, the Falcons as well as programs like UNLV and San Jose State seem to be a part of the Mountain West’s immediate future.
Hawaii recently announced it will become a full-time Mountain West member in 2026, giving the league the minimum eight members it needed, and now Northern Illinois will go to the Mountain West as well for 2026. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the conference won’t want more members in the near future.
Pac-12 Media Deal
The Pac-12’s media deal with FOX and ESPN was reportedly worth $250 million per year and was going to expire this academic school year. The conference was seeking a new deal before teams decided to leave.
Mountain West Conference Media Deal
The Mountain West agreed to a $270 million media rights deal in 2020 with CBS and FOX, according to The Athletic. It would end after the 2025-26 season. Teams are scheduled to be paid $4 million per year.
How Long Has Colorado State Been In The Mountain West?
Colorado State was a founding member of the Mountain West back in 1998, as CSU played its first season in the conference in 1999.
Before that, Colorado State was in the WAC from 1967 to 1998.
