It appears Texas State is just a couple days away from taking official steps toward leaving the Sun Belt and becoming a member of the Pac-12.
Here’s more about how Texas State is expected to become the Pac-12’s eighth full-time member.
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Texas State’s Pac-12 Move
Texas State has been in communication with the Sun Belt about the Pac-12’s offer, per multiple reports, and plans to jump leagues. However, an official announcement likely won’t happen until Monday. That is when a board of regents meeting is expected to take place.
Texas State’s Sun Belt Exit Fee
Texas State will need to pay the Sun Belt $5 million for leaving the conference.
Texas State’s Deadline For Departure
Texas State’s exit fee would’ve jumped from $5 million to $10 million if its move had been formalized after July 1, which is next Tuesday.
When Is Texas State Going To The Pac-12?
Texas State is planning on competing in the Pac-12 beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, so the 2026 football season.
The Pac-12 needed eight full-time members by 2026 to meet the minimum for an FBS conference.
Teams Going To The Pac-12
San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and Utah State are the five Mountain West teams which have announced they are going to the Pac-12, also for the 2026 football season.
Gonzaga is also going to the Pac-12 as a non-football member. Oregon State and Washington State are the only two teams which have remained in the Pac-12 since the league nearly dissolved following a mass exodus over the past couple years.
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.
How Much Is The Pac-12’s Media Deal Worth?
The Pac-12 extended its media deal with CBS through the 2030-31 season. However, the financial details of that arrangement have not been widely publicized.
The Pac-12 is expecting to have additional media partnerships. The conference’s media deal will reportedly pay schools between $4 million and $10 million per year, but that’s a wide range and much still needs to be figured out.
Pac-12 teams are looking to earn more than the $4 million per team per year payout that came with the Mountain West media deal, according to ESPN. But it appears it will be below $10 million per year, which was pitched when the Pac-12 began looking for new members.
The Pac-12, with two teams in 2025, will have games on the CW, ESPN, and CBS. But that may not be the case in 2026 and beyond.
Sun Belt Media Deal
Teams in the Sun Belt receive about $2 million per year thanks to its media deal with ESPN, which ends in 2031. Considering Texas State is on the way out, the Pac-12’s media contract may end up paying even more.
What Does Texas State Leaving Mean For The Sun Belt?
The Sun Belt has a few good options to consider.
- Add Louisiana Tech
- Add Western Kentucky
- Or stay at 13 teams
When Texas State’s conversations with the Pac-12 began heating up, ESPN reported Louisiana Tech was at the top of the Sun Belt’s list of preferred schools to add.
Louisiana Tech would make sense from a geographical perspective. The Sun Belt currently has Louisiana, ULM, and other schools in the region.
Western Kentucky has also been considered as a potential addition for the Sun Belt. WKU has been one of the top teams in Conference USA the past few seasons on the football field. The Hilltoppers also aren’t too far away from the rest of the Sun Belt’s programs, either.
The Sun Belt also could just remain at 13 total teams. That would lead to an unequal number of teams in each division, but waiting could give the conference some flexibility.
