Report: Pac-12 targeting multiple Mountain West schools in plan to rebuild with Oregon State, Washington State
The Pac-12 is taking the first step in its plan to rebuild with Oregon State and Washington State, Yahoo! Sports’ Ross Dellenger reported late Wednesday night. Multiple Mountain West teams would be the targets, including Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State.
All four schools have either applied for membership or will do so soon, Dellenger reported. The Pac-12 and Mountain West are in the midst of a scheduling agreement this year, although the two sides didn’t agree to an extension, as previously reported. The Pac-12 board would have to approve the moves, and an announcement is expected soon.
If the four schools were to join the league, they would do so in 2026. However, it would also come with quite a price tag, according to Dellenger. The Mountain West’s exit fee would be $17 million per team, and an additional $10-$12 million penalty would be added on as part of the scheduling agreement in place with the Pac-12.
Adding the four teams would be the first step in the rebuild process led by new commissioner Teresa Gould, Dellenger reported. The Pac-12 is looking to get to the FBS threshold of eight teams by the end of the two-year grace period. If Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Fresno State were to join, the league would be two schools short by the July 2026 deadline.
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The Pac-12 was at the center of a groundbreaking round of conference realignment last year. Ten schools left the league after former commissioner George Kliavkoff presented a streaming media rights deal with Apple, leaving just Oregon State and Washington State behind.
Both schools made their plans clear to rebuild the 108-year-old league. In the meantime, the conference struck a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West for the 2024 season, and both Oregon State and Washington State announced they’d be joining the West Coast Conference in all non-baseball and football sports.
In December, Oregon State and Washington State received full control of the Pac-12 after agreeing to a settlement with the former conference members. That gives the two schools the right to retain the conference’s current assets, as well as future revenues.