LARAMIE, Wyo. — In a new announcement, Pac-12 Conference leadership announced that four Mountain West Conference schools — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State — would be departing for Pac-12 starting in the 2026–27 season.
The Pac-12 was almost completely gutted of all schools except Oregon State and Washington State in summer 2023, so this news is expected to usher in a new era for the conference, according to Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould in a Thursday news release.
“We will continue to pursue bold cutting-edge opportunities for growth and progress, to best serve our member institutions and student-athletes,” Gould said. “I am thankful to our board for their efforts to welcome Boise State University, Colorado State University, California State University, Fresno, and San Diego State University to the conference. An exciting new era for the Pac-12 Conference begins today.”
According to the release, these four schools were strategically chosen for their academic and athletic performances, media and brand evaluation, commitment to the success of their athletics programs, geography and culture.
Without the four departing schools, the University of Wyoming remains in the Mountain West Conference with just Air Force, Nevada, UNLV, New Mexico, San Jose State and Utah state.
The NCAA minimal requirement for a conference is eight total teams, so the Pac-12 still has some shopping around to do. NCAA bylaws allow conferences not acting in accordance with that rule a two-year grace period to add up to eight schools, and the conference is currently in its first year.
The Mountain West Conference has not officially released a statement on its website as of Thursday morning.
