Pac-12 rebuilding conference, adding Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, Colorado State

The Pac-12 is mobilizing its long-discussed plan to rebuild the league with additions from the Mountain West, sources tell Yahoo Sports.

The two-team conference of Washington State and Oregon State will add Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Fresno State in a reimagined Pac-12. Those schools applied for membership into the conference and were accepted. They will join the league starting with the 2026 school year.

The Pac-12 confirmed the additions in a statement on Thursday morning.

Commissioner Teresa Gould and officials from the Pac-12 have spent the last year examining possible options for their future after 10 schools left the league for the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC. They have long held the belief that they can preserve the Pac-12 brand by reconstructing the conference through expansion, using its 108-year-old tradition, history and assets to attract new members.

This is expected to be the first phase in a multi-phase expansion endeavor to reach, at the very least, eight schools — the NCAA’s minimum required to qualify as an FBS conference. With the aforementioned four joining, the league needs two more to complete the process. It must reach the minimum by July of 2026, the end of the NCAA’s two-year grace period.

The Pac-12’s board must approve any membership applications. The deal was finalized on Thursday.

The expansion is not inexpensive. Each Mountain West school is contractually bound to a $17 million exit fee, and the Pac-12 is on the hook for an additional $10-12 million penalty fee for every school they acquire as part of a scheduling agreement the conference struck with the Mountain West.

After months of examining future options, league officials determined to reimagine the conference with an expansion approach. In negotiations with potential new members, Pac-12 officials and third…

Source link : https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/pac-12-rebuilding-conference-adding-boise-state-san-diego-state-fresno-state-colorado-state-033254593.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-09-12 03:32:54

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.