Utah State to join Pac-12 Conference in 2026

LOGAN, Utah (ABC4 Sports) – From the Big West Conference, to the Sun Belt, to the WAC, to the Mountain West, and now the Pac-12, it has been quite a rise to prominence for the Utah State athletic program.

Utah State became the fifth Mountain West Conference school to join the newly revamped Pac-12, officially accepting the conference’s invite to become a member starting July 1, 2026.

The Pac-12 board members unanimously voted to admit Utah State to the conference.

“We are thrilled to welcome Utah State University to the Pac-12, as they join us on this exciting journey forward,” stated Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould. “With President Elizabeth Cantwell and Athletics Director Diana Sabau at the helm, Utah State brings invaluable strategic insights and leadership that will greatly benefit our conference and its members as well as a history of competitive excellence and success. Today marks another exciting step for the Pac-12 – and it’s just the beginning of phase two.”

When ten teams, including Utah, bolted from the Pac-12 last year for the Big 12, the Big Ten and ACC, the Pac-12 was left with just Oregon State and Washington State. But in the past week, the Pac-12 has acquired Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State and now Utah State.

The Pac-12 still needs to find at least one more school to become an official FBS conference. UNLV and Nevada are considered to be possible candidates.

Utah State University President Elizabeth Cantwell said in a statement Tuesday, “The vision of the Pac-12 Conference firmly aligns with USU’s mission and our commitments to the future. This move unlocks new possibilities by directly enhancing the student-athlete experience and will significantly strengthen our reputation for competitive success, academic achievement, and research excellence.”

Utah State will have to pay an exit fee of roughly $18 million to join the Pac-12.

Since joining the Mountain West Conference in 2013, the Utah State football team has won one conference title in 2021. The Aggies men’s basketball team has qualified for the NCAA Tournament in four of the last five seasons.

An official press conference at Utah State is expected to be held in the coming days.

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