As several schools have departed the Pac-12, Washington State had to find a clear path forward.
Though it seemed possible Washington State would end up with another conference, that won’t become reality now, as the Pac-12 will be picking up a few important members from the Mountain West in the near future.
Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, Utah State & San Diego State Join The Pac-12
Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Utah State, and San Diego State have announced they are officially going to the Pac-12, beginning during the 2026 season. Gonzaga will also be going to the Pac-12 for all of its sports, which doesn’t include football.
Those moves will likely create a ripple effect for the rest of the FBS. The Pac-12 needs at least one more full-time member to be technically considered a conference, so others will likely become members of the new-look league. The Mountain West is losing some of its top teams and has been searching for candidates to boost its numbers back up.
Pac-12 officials reportedly believe the league can reach a media deal worth more than the Mountain West’s currently, which could be a key reason for these moves.
The Pac-12 is no longer an autonomous league, meaning it had more influence in regards to NCAA decisions and received more money from the College Football Playoff. It’s uncertain if the Pac-12 could regain that status. It’s also unclear if the CFP would go back to six automatic qualifying spots for conference championship winners, as that number decreased to five following the Pac-12 dropping to two teams.
Memphis, USF, UTSA & Tulane To Stay In The AAC
The Pac-12 was reportedly hoping to add some of the top programs in the AAC as well, but now that doesn’t appear to be happening.
Memphis, Tulane, South Florida, and UTSA publicly announced a recommitment to the AAC last season. That seriously hampers the Pac-12’s expansion efforts.
All four of those schools are located in good markets, and all four of them were in bowl games in 2024. They were logical targets for the Pac-12 aside from travel costs.
Now the question is what other teams might the Pac-12 be considering.
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.
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 last 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.
Pac-12 & Mountain West Don’t Extend Scheduling Arrangement Past 2024
The Mountain West and Pac-12 didn’t sign off on a deal to continue their scheduling agreement past the 2024 season. The deadline to do so was Sept. 1.
Mountain West teams scheduled seven games against league opponents with another being against either WSU or OSU in 2024. Those two programs weren’t eligible for the Mountain West Championship.
For one year of this arrangement, the two schools were to pay the Mountain West $14 million, according to Yahoo Sports.
Pac-12 Conference Realignment News
The Mountain West 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, and Northern Illinois, one of the top programs in the MAC.
Both are 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, as Air Force and UNLV both reached the AP Top 25 in the past two years.
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 and NIU will become members of the Mountain West in 2026. Hawaii announced it will become a full-time Mountain West member in 2026, giving the league the minimum eight members it needed.
Could A WSU-Big Ten Move Happen?
Speculation followed after several teams left the Pac-12, but the Big Ten does not seem to be a likely landing spot for Washington State.
Though there have been some reports about WSU looking at going to a Power Four league, the Big Ten has not been one of them. The Big Ten seems content at the moment or would look elsewhere for expansion.
USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington are the previous Pac-12 schools which are in the Big Ten. Washington State would likely want to join UW in whatever league it is in, but the Big Ten doesn’t seem like it will extend an invite any time soon.
Would WSU To The Big 12 Work?
Some have wondered if Washington State could go with other Pac-12 schools to the Big 12, but that doesn’t currently seem probable.
Multiple national outlets have reported the Big 12 doesn’t seem likely to be adding the Pac-2 schools, which would include Oregon State and WSU. And if that was a possibility, that likely would’ve happened by now.
Four former Pac-12 schools — Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah — are in the Big 12 now.
Also don’t expect for WSU to go to the ACC any time soon, either, as that league also isn’t in a stable place. Clemson and Florida State have both sued the ACC in recent months over matters related to the ACC’s grant of rights.
Neither school has given official notice that it intends to leave. However, Florida State has reportedly expressed frustration with the ACC’s media deal, saying FSU isn’t making enough to keep up with SEC and Big Ten programs seeking to win national championships.
Apple Cup’s Future
Washington State and Washington announced their Apple Cup rivalry series would continue through at least 2028.
Last season marked the 116th time the two schools played. The Cougars defeated the Huskies 24-19 in 2024.
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Can A Pac-12 Team Make The College Football Playoff?
Washington State and Oregon State, the two remaining Pac-12 teams, still can earn a spot in the CFP. However, that path will be difficult without a chance to automatically qualify with a conference championship.
Washington State, Pac-12 History
Washington State has been a member of the Pac-12 since 1962, though it has been called a variety of names over the years.
When WSU joined, it was known as the Athletic Association of Western Universities. Then the league became the Pacific-8 Conference in 1968 before being renamed the Pacific-10 Conference in 1978 when Arizona and Arizona State were added. It officially became the Pac-12 in 2011 after Colorado and Utah joined the conference.
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 several 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. That would mean teams are scheduled to be paid $4 million per year.
The arrangement would end after the 2025-26 season.
