Pac-12 Gives Major Update on Conference Rebuild Plans

The college football world has been adjusting to life without what once was the storied Pac-12 Conference. With only Oregon State and Washington State remaining as the last remnants of the Pac-12, these "left-behind" schools continue to carry on in a season that feels like a trial run for the future of the conference.

Both the Cougars and the Beavers have gotten off to strong starts, sitting at 2-0 as they prepare for their in-state rivals, Washington and Oregon, who left for the Big Ten. Though this might feel like the end for the Pac-12, it appears there may be hope on the horizon, as the conference reportedly has plans to rebuild.

According to Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger , the Pac-12 is exploring expansion by targeting schools from the Mountain West Conference. The schools reportedly in the crosshairs are Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and Fresno State. Dellenger notes that all four schools are expected to apply or have already applied for membership.

If these applications are accepted, the schools would join the Pac-12 starting in the 2026 school year, bringing the conference's total to six schools. However, the ultimate goal is to reach at least eight 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," Dellenger explained. "If the aforementioned four join, 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."

This expansion won't come cheaply. Mountain West schools aiming to leave will face a $17 million exit fee, while the Pac-12 will incur a $10-12 million penalty fee per school due to a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West.

The Pac-12 was decimated after last season, losing four teams to the Big Ten—Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA—two teams to the ACC—Stanford and Cal—and four more to the Big 12—Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah.

As of now, it remains uncertain which additional schools the Pac-12 might target to reach the eight-school minimum and regain its status as an FBS conference. However, it seems unlikely the conference would regain its former "Power" status alongside the current Power 4 conferences.