USU future uncertain with Mountain West departures

LOGAN, Utah (ABC4 Sports) – With the news that four schools are leaving the Mountain West Conference for the Pac-12 in 2026, the future of Utah State athletics is up in the air.

Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State and Colorado State will join Oregon State and Washington State in the newly revamped Pac-12 Conference beginning in the 2026-27 season. The Pac-12 still needs to invite two more schools to get to the minimum eight to become an official FBS conference.

Will Utah State get one of those invites? It is unlikely considering the size of the Logan market. UNLV is likely to get an invite, along with another school, possibly from Texas. Stanford and Cal have also been rumored to possibly come back home to the West from the ACC.

As it stands now, starting in 2026, the MWC will consist of Utah State, San Jose State, UNLV, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming and Air Force. Hawaii is a football-only member, with its other sports in the Big West Conference.

If Utah State remains in a depleted Mountain West Conference that can either remain at eight teams, or have to recruit smaller schools from either the Sun Belt Conference or possibly Conference USA, what will that mean for Utah State’s revenue and recruiting, which will certainly take a hit.

However, Utah State would be in contention for conference championships year in and year out with the four schools leaving.

Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez released a statement late Wednesday to address reports the four schools were leaving the conference.

“The Mountain West Conference is aware of media reports regarding the potential departure of several of our members, and we will have more to say in the days ahead,” Nevarez said. “All members will be held to the Conference bylaws and policies should they elect to depart. The requirements of the scheduling agreement will apply to the Pac-12 should they admit Mountain West members. Our Board of Directors is meeting to determine our next steps. The Mountain West has a proud 25-year history and will continue to thrive in the years ahead.”

Mountain West bylaws require departing schools to pay an exit fee of roughly $18 million with two years’ notice, which is what the four schools expect to pay. That number would jump to $36 million with one year’s notice.

From that number, the Mountain West Conference would stand to gain roughly $111 million from exit fees from the four departing schools and from the Pac-12 Conference.

The Pac-12 is expected to help the schools with the exit fees, in part, due to withheld media-rights distribution fees to departed members and other conference assets. The conference would also be subjected to $43 million in poaching fees, as outlined in the scheduling agreement between the conferences this year that resulted in Oregon State and Washington State playing six Mountain West opponents.

Utah State athletic director Diana Sabau has yet to release a statement as of Wednesday.

Utah State has been a member of the Mountain West Conference since 2011.

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