‘Exciting New Era’: Pac-12 Continues To Add Universities For ’26 Rebuilding
Tuesday, October 1, 2024 at 04:16PM By Barry Janoff
UPDATED October 1, 2024: Gonzaga University said today it is leaving the West Coast Conference and would become a member of the rebuilding Pac-12 beginning in 2026. Gonzaga, which has built a successful men's basketball program, do not have a football program, but will give the Pac-12 eight members in basketball.
The Gonzaga men are the only program in the country to appear in each of the last nine NCAA Sweet Sixteens, matching the longest streak since the NCAA Tournament expanded in 1985, as well as five Elite Eight appearances over the last nine NCAA Tournaments.
The Pac-12 Conference received a formal application for membership from Gonzaga on Sept. 30.
UPDATED Sept. 26, 2024: AP Sports: Seven Mountain West schools have agreed to remain in the league amid overtures by the Pac-12 to lure away at least one more of its teams, the conference announced Thursday.
The move comes after the Pac-12, which was reduced to just two teams after last summer’s realignment, announced two weeks ago that four Mountain West teams would join the league in 2026, including Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State. Utah State agreed to join earlier this week.
The seven remaining Mountain West schools signed a memorandum of understanding to stay in the league. They include Air Force, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, Wyoming and Hawaii. (Full story here.)
September 12, 2024: Less than a month after officially losing ten of its member universities, the Pac-12 Conference Board of Directors has voted unanimously to admit Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State — all current members of the Mountain West Conference — to the Pac-12 Conference, effective July 1, 2026.
Competition for all conference sports is scheduled to begin in the 2026-27 academic year.
Buying out four schools from the Mountain West in a one-year period will cost approximately $113 million, according to CBS Sports.
The Pac-12 still needs to add at least two more members to be recognized as a conference according to NCAA rules.
“An exciting new era for the Pac-12 Conference begins today,” Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould said via the organization.
"For over a century, the Pac-12 Conference has been recognized as a leading brand in intercollegiate athletics, We will continue to pursue bold cutting-edge opportunities for growth and progress, to best serve our member institutions and student-athletes.”
Oregon State and Washington State said they are currently operating as members of the Pac-12 Conference “as part of a NCAA two-year grace period and will continue to do so for the 2025-26 academic season before the four new members officially join.
“The collective six universities will collaboratively chart additional membership and other future conference considerations.”
The Board called the universities “four respected institutions celebrated for their achievements in both academics and athletics.”
Among the universities that left the Pac-12 were UC-Berkeley (for the ACC), UC-Davis (Big West), San Diego State (Mountain West), UCLA (Big Ten), USC (Big Ten), Utah (Big 12) and Washington (Big Ten).
Universities remaining in the Mountain West would include Air Force, Hawai’i, UNLV, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, Utah State and Wyoming.
Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez said via the Conference, “The Mountain West Conference is aware of media reports regarding the potential departure of several of our members, and we will have more to say in the days ahead.
"All members will be held to the Conference bylaws and policies should they elect to depart. The requirements of the scheduling agreement will apply to the Pac-12 should they admit Mountain West members.
“Our Board of Directors is meeting to determine our next steps. The Mountain West has a proud 25-year history and will continue to thrive in the years ahead,” according to Nevarez.
Following the review of the formal written applications from the four universities, Gould and the Pac-12 Conference Board of Directors said they “strategically evaluated each university’s application using five prioritized measures and established criteria which included academics and athletics performance; media and brand evaluation; commitment to athletics success; geography and logistics; culture and student-athlete welfare.”
Oregon State University president Jayathi Murthy and Washington State University president Kirk Schulz said in a joint statement, “We are honored to welcome the distinguished leadership of Boise State University president Dr. Marlene Tromp, Colorado State University president Amy Parsons, California State University-Fresno president Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, and San Diego State University president Dr. Adela de la Torre to the Pac-12 Board of Directors.
“We eagerly anticipate their uniquely insightful contributions during this transformative era for the conference and collegiate athletics.”
Back to Home Page