Texas State will become the ninth member of the rebuilt Pac-12 and eighth football-playing school in the conference. The university’s board of directors approved the move in a Monday morning meeting in which they signed off on paying the $5 million exit fee from the Sun Belt and accepted the formal invite from the Pac-12 sent at the end of last week. Texas State and the Pac-12 announced the news publicly a few hours after the formal approval by TSU’s board.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Texas State as a foundational member of the new Pac-12,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould in a press release. “Texas State has shown a commitment to competing and winning at the highest level as well as to providing student-athletes with a well-rounded college experience academically, athletically and socially. We look forward to seeing the Bobcats’ future trajectory continue to shine big and bright.”
The Pac-12 had been searching for an eighth FBS team for its conference, even after agreeing to bring on five Mountain West institutions — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State — as NCAA rules required the Pac-12 to have a minimum of eight in order to be considered a conference. For this past season and the upcoming one, the Pac-12 was operating under a grace period that expired by July 1, 2026. Had the Pac-12 not gotten its numbers back up, it would have lost its status as a conference in FBS.
Texas State moved up from FCS to FBS in 2012 and recently has seen more success. Under head coach G.J. Kinne, the Bobcats have posted back-to-back eight-win seasons and back-to-back victories in the First Responder Bowl, They’ve also finished second in the West division of the Sun Belt each of the last two years.
“Texas State is thrilled to enter a new era in college athletics as the newest member of the new Pac-12 Conference,” said Texas State Athletics Director Don Coryell. “This milestone offers an incredible opportunity to elevate our programs, compete at the highest level, and pursue excellence on a national stage. This historic moment belongs to our coaches, staff, student-athletes, fans, alumni and students, who we thank for making it possible. As the Pac-12’s flagship school in Texas, we proudly embrace the opportunity and responsibility that comes with it. We are grateful to Commissioner Teresa Gould, the Pac-12 leadership, and extend sincere thanks to the Sun Belt Conference for 12 years of partnership and growth. We look forward to tackling new challenges and reaching new heights as a foundational member of the new Pac-12.”
According to a report from Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, the Pac-12 is not looking at further expansion in the short term. Instead, the conference will look to finalize the rest of its media right deal, part of which was announced last week with CBS being the primary media partner. The Pac-12 will consist of nine schools for the time being, with the five aforementioned Mountain West schools, Texas State and Gonzaga which will join Oregon State and Washington State, the two holdovers from the old Pac-12. Per John Canzano, Texas State is not expected to receive a full share of the media rights payout, which is currently expected to land at around $8 million per school.
