In typical #Pac12AfterDark fashion, while most of America was sound asleep, some crazy — pardon my French — s**t was going on out West late last night/early morning.
The Pac-12 grew overnight, adding Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State from the Mountain West. The new members will remain in the Mountain West for the 2025 season before joining the Pac-12 in 2026.
The Pac-12, decimated by the losses of 10 of its 12 teams, is back by having quadruplets. And it's not done yet.
Pac-12 holdovers Oregon State and Washington State, along with the four new members, still need two more schools by 2026 to reach the eight-school minimum to qualify as an FBS conference.
Late Monday night and early Tuesday morning, league officials and representatives from the new members finalized details with the official announcement coming at 6 a.m. Pacific Time. Is it now #Pac12AfterSunrise?
The six Pac-12 members will collaboratively chart and vote on any additional members and other future conference business.
Who are the candidates? That’s to be determined, sources told Action Network.
The Pac-12 could pursue two more Mountain West schools — UNLV and Air Force would be at the top of that list, sources said. Or the Pac-12 could hope (and pray) that somehow Cal and Stanford decided to leave the ACC and return to their Pac-12 roots.
Or maybe the Pac-12 could look to grab two schools from the AAC — maybe Memphis and/or Tulane — or from another Group of Six league. Or does it take a chance on an FCS school, such as FCS juggernauts North Dakota State or South Dakota State?
Going forward, the Pac-12 will not be considered a “power conference,” as far as receiving its share of College Football Playoff revenue. It will be part of the new Group of Six. However, the Pac-12 would potentially be in contention every season to receive one of the top five automatic conference championship berths, similar to how the Mountain West does now.
“For over a century, the Pac-12 Conference has been recognized as a leading brand in intercollegiate athletics,” Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould said. “We will continue to pursue bold cutting-edge opportunities for growth and progress, to best serve our member institutions and student-athletes.
“An exciting new era for the Pac-12 Conference begins today.”
The departing Mountain West schools must each pay a minimum $17 million exit fee. The Pac-12 is expected to help offset that amount.
Also, the Pac-12 must pay the Mountain West $43 million for poaching the four Mountain West schools as part of a scheduling agreement between the two conferences.
The Pac-12 decided it made more sense — and more money — to add to the Pac-12 brand instead of a reverse merger with the Mountain West. The Pac-12 brand brought more value with its 100-year legacy of the conference, coupled with the potential for media rights growth, strengthening of corporate partnerships and leveraging Pac-12 Enterprises.
This, Pac-12 officials said, provides long-term sustainability and success for the conference.
Stability in college athletics? That would be something.
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