Texas State is set to depart the Sun Belt Conference and join the Pac-12 in 2026, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports.
Thamel and additional sources are reporting that Texas State has called a board meeting for Monday in which they will accept the league’s invitation. The report also indicates that the Bobcats’ leadership has notified the Sun Belt that they will be departing the circuit.
The San Marcos, Texas, school has been a Sun Belt member since 2013 following a one-year stint in the WAC. Head coach G.J. Kinne has taken the Bobcats to consecutive First Responder Bowl appearances, winning both.
Texas State joins Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Utah State, and Washington State as football members of the Pac-12.
The change is expected to take effect July 1, 2026. More details on the move will be shared as they unfold.
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I buy Texas State heading to PAC 12.
40,000 UNDERGRADS—–They can make the move—–
Texas State finally cares about it’s athletics, huh?
GJ Kinne is the truth
I commend OSU/WSU and the PAC in keeping the conference going.
happy for them, But I still fail to see any major benefits from it.
They could have held the naming rights and just merged with the MWC.
So much cleaner, and no legal messes and legal costs.
Could have been a really good 16 team conference, with lots of air time to sell.
Now the wrangling and expansion headaches continue :(
All just so they can call themselves a Power 5 conference?
Even Coug fans know that is a farce.
Big Stank made it happen baby. Relegating teams who were both ranked top 15 the year before Stankley and Tony Poochachi decided they didnt matter anymore bc they were in rural areas. #greed #RIPleach #swingyoursword
The MWC merger was never going to happen under the circumstances with the current schools involved. SDSU and Boise had been very vocal the last few years of leaving the MWC in an attempt to join a Power conference with CSU and Fresno expressing interest but with predictably lower odds of realistically being a candidate.
We still do not know the full media deal details but if the rumours are true, the CW would offer atleast a game a week on an OTA national covered network, and for the PAC members they are hoping for more national exposure opportunities that the MWC couldn’t offer and as a result have more attention/consideration as part of the CFP autobid discussions.
In 6 years you might very well get your wish afterall, but the PAC affiliation was/is a last ditch effort for those schools involved to attempt to make the cut to a Power conference
Sorry Rev, but this iteration of the PAC stinks. Washington State and Oregon State should have slid right into the MWC..
But let’s see how this works.
Even with new PAC 12 I am giving Mountain West a chance.
They should change the name from PAC 12 to State since all their teams have the word State in their names. Coincidence? I think not.
State & Gonzaga Conference, you mean.
I might visit San Marcos to check out a Gonzaga basketball game. Never thought I’d say that sentence.
Welcome to the new world of college sports.
Its about time the Pac-12 did something.
Well the pac12 now has 8 schools for football, 9 in basketball and other sports with Gonzaga, plus a new contract with CBS. Now if the conference can make money, I have a feeling at least a couple of the schools that left might come back, like maybe California and Stanford. I figured if any return it would be those, since they have to fly across the country all the time for a conference game. Yes football and even basketball makes money, but remember their are bunch of other smaller sports that would also have to fly cross country.
It’s a 5 year plan for all involved, and especially the likes of OSU/WSU and Boise and SDSU’s last attempt at a Power conference bid as part of the next major realignment. All bets are off what happens thereafter.
No way snooty Stanford is going to join up with all the states and their easy admissions standards
Not gonna happen
They have the budgets to travel.
The Pac-12 should also add Saint Mary’s for non-football sports to bring their Gonzaga rivalry into a new conference, and have a school in the same metro area as conference headquarters for the first time since Cal and Stanford left.
Meanwhile these should be the Pac-12’s Thanksgiving weekend games starting in 2026.
Boise State-Utah State
Colorado State-Texas State
Fresno State-San Diego State
Oregon State-Washington State
The Pac-12 had embraced Thanksgiving weekend as rivalry week in their previous alignment, they should continue to do it with their new members.
St. Mary’s is a small liberal arts school that brings nothing to the table, academically or athletically. If anything, the Pac-9 should invite UTSA to make it 10.
Saint Mary’s might have not cut it in the old Pac-12, but the conference’s character has vastly changed.
Plus UTSA already turned down the Pac along with several other American schools. The schools that turned down the Pac last fall largely have their eyes set on either the ACC or Big 12.
I was wondering if UTSA might be courted….big market, big state
Z-Man We will no longer reply to each other due to our horrible rambling relationship.
To John Furgele UTSA Would be an excellent fit for PAC 12 this is just a suggestion.
I will let PAC 12 decide who will be play on Thanksgiving weekend.
Conference games are more important than rivalry games except for last weekend of regular season.
Satisfied currently with eight Football programs in PAC 12 & I am open for a additional program or two however I am in zero rush for it.
Anyone else notice how this means the Pac-12 has finally finished their quest to get into Texas after trying so many times before and failing?
I remember 15 years ago when they had rumors with Texas & Texas A&M joining what was then PAC 10.
I wouldn’t think about that at all because this Pac? is like comparing the WAC now to when Utah, Air Force, Wyoming, Colorado State, and so on where there.
I live in San Antonio, and I am sure that UTSA thinks they belong in the SEC, but they have their hands full as it is right now. They are in the middle of a home and home with Texas State, but I don’t believe they want to be in the same conference.
These conference realignments are becoming a yearly headache, so who knows, they might very well be the new USC-UCLA for all of you and at UTSA and UIW to join up.
Sac State (after moving up), Arizona State, and San Jose State would round this out nicely. Montana State could also move up and provide a great addition.
Good competition, public university education promotion, balanced funding, and competitive as a power five conference.