Pac-12's Teresa Gould ready to lead new-look conference

Commissioner Teresa Gould was on a flight Wednesday night from Dallas to Los Angeles as the Pac-12’s deal to add Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State entered its final hours.

Applications were being submitted and board votes were happening. Yet Gould couldn’t keep up because the flight did not have internet.

“It was nerve-wracking the first hour to 90 minutes of the flight because the Wi-Fi wasn’t working,” she told On3 on Thursday night. “So that was pretty nerve-wracking.”

Despite being in the air without communication, the deal still touched down.

The Pac-12 officially welcomed the four new members on Thursday morning, a pivotal move in bringing new life to the league. Oregon State and Washington State were left to fend for the league last summer as schools scrambled to join new conferences after the Pac-12 failed to secure a lucrative media rights package.

When Gould officially started as Pac-12 commissioner in March, her top priority was charting a path forward for the conference. Administrators at Oregon State and Washington State played a pivotal role, too.

Now the attention shifts to building out the rest of the conference. For the Pac-12 to remain an FBS conference, it must have eight schools by July 2026. Thursday was just Phase One of expansion plans for the league.

“The interest in the Pac-12 as a brand, and the interest in the future conference that we’re going to create and build is very, very high across a lot of different stakeholders,” Gould told On3. “Whether it’s potential media partners, whether it’s other corporate partners, institutions from other conferences, there’s just a lot of buzz and a lot of energy and a lot of interest in what we’re doing moving forward.”

Pac-12 will need to activate CFP look-in provision

Where the Pac-12 turns for new members will be a lingering question in the weeks ahead. Sources indicated to On3 that Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, UNLV, Air Force, Wyoming and New Mexico should all be schools to watch. Cal and Stanford have signed the ACC’s Grant of Rights through 2036, making an exit unlikely. How the ACC handles ongoing legal disputes with Florida State and Clemson could play a factor.

A source told On3 that the Pac-12 could reopen talks about the College Football Playoff’s new $7.8 billion television contract, which begins in the 2026-27 season. Gould said the new agreement has a look-in provision.

The Pac-12 will be eligible for an automatic qualifying spot if they reach the eight-member mark. No specific number has been set as to how many schools the conference wants to add. As of now, Oregon State and Washington State will receive $3.6 million each in CFP distribution.

“The commissioners were all aligned that was an important element to have in that new agreement, given the landscape around conference realignment,” she said. “So, my role will certainly be, moving forward, No. 1 to build a Pac-12 conference and to have a membership that is in the upper echelon of college football and compete at the highest level. And then to work with my peer commissioners at the CFP level to activate that look-in provision – to see where we fit in the future in that agreement.”

Teresa Gould now focused on unifying Pac-12

In the short term, Gould’s goal is to unite the four new schools with Oregon State and Washington State to create a vision for the future.

Sources told On3 on Thursday that the discussions around adding Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State ramped up in the last 72 hours. Gould will now work to create the new Pac-12 with all six schools playing a key role in its future.

“We will continue to compete at the highest level and resource their athletic departments at a level that is consistent with the highest-level institutions in this country,” she said. “We continue to want to give those benefits to our student-athletes, and we’ll be watching closely and engaging in those national conversations.”