Boise State joining PAC

[ISUguy]

Who’s next?

The Pac-12, currently consisting of two teams, is poised to grow — and provide a more stable future for Washington State and Oregon State.

At least four schools from the Mountain West are expected to announce, as early as Thursday, their plans to join the Pac-12 for the 2026-27 competition year, according to a Mountain West source.

Boise State, Colorado State and San Diego State are three of the schools, with Fresno State believed to be the fourth.

Yahoo was the first to report the news.

The thunderous development comes after the Mountain West and Pac-12 failed to agree to extend their football scheduling partnership for the 2025 season.

The move will be costly for the Pac-12 and the schools involved.

According to the terms of the scheduling agreement, there is a so-called poaching penalty of approximately $10 million for every school that leaves the MW for the Pac-12.

Washington State and Oregon State have assets worth well over $200 million, which includes $65 million in distributions withheld from the 10 departed schools.

That money had been earmarked to rebuild the conference.

In addition, schools that leave the MW are likely to owe a departure penalty of approximately $20 million.

But there is more to come, for the Pac-12 must have at least eight members by the summer of 2026 to comply with NCAA rules.

With the Cougars and Beavers, plus the four MW schools, at least two more additions would be needed.

This article will be updated.

Jon Wilner: [email protected]; Jon Wilner has been covering college sports

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

I think the door is open for Cal and Stanford to return.

 

[BrownBear9501]

Can we please seize this opportunity to move up!

 

[Griz til I die]

I think the door is open for Cal and Stanford to return.

What would they have to pay the ACC to get out?

 

[Ut-Grizfan]

We need to move up!!

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

What would they have to pay the ACC to get out?

Depends if Clemson and Florida State are able to litigate there way out.

 

[billingsgriz]

This reconstruction of The PAC ? is a pebble tossed into the NCAA football pond with the ripples felt throughout The West--how is that for a cheesey metaphor ?

Okay, so I am not the reincarnation of Billy Shakespeare, but hang onto your Chaucers as chances are good the depleted MW, the new PAC ?, or both approach us and the Shi##y Kitties plus Idaho re: " moving up !!!"

I told one of the former high school football coaches of Melstone's Brody Grebe today here in Billings ( I was wearing a maroon Nike GRIZ T, so he started talking to me at a car rental store.) who was understandably proud of his former pupil that The SK's have a great team this year with one big caveat: Tommy Mellott is a great QB and a great kid but if he gets hurt again this year, the only help Sean Chambers can provide now are words of wisdom on the sideline as an assistant coach. I think if Tommy gets hurt this year, the SK's season could turn really ugly, really fast !!!

 

[footballdood]

I think the door is open for Cal and Stanford to return.

I don't think so. I'm sure they weighed raiding the MW and staying against joining the ACC and the $$ was in favor of the ACC. That would be awesome though.

 

[Berkeley_Griz]

I think the door is open for Cal and Stanford to return.

They'll only do so if the ACC falls apart. They easily could have stayed with WSU and OSU, kept the PAC settlement money, and invited a few MWC schools in the first place if that was what they wanted.

 

[fanofzoo]

We need to move up!!

We need money !

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

I don't think so. I'm sure they weighed raiding the MW and staying against joining the ACC and the $$ was in favor of the ACC. That would be awesome though.

Stanford and Cal basically make no money from the ACC for the first 7-9 years.

 

[Berkeley_Griz]

Stanford and Cal basically make no money from the ACC for the first 7-9 years.

They make more than they would in the PAC 2, and the prestige of the two leagues (for now) are not remotely comparable. Not to mention Cal and Stanford are now subject to the same legal ramifications (fees) of attempting to leave. Until the ACC completely falls apart, Cal and Stanford are a non-option for the PAC.

 

[AZGrizFan]

I think the door is open for Cal and Stanford to return.

I agree, and it makes perfect sense.

 

[Coach Armchair]

For what it’s worth, here’s an interesting take from Sam Herder: https://herosports.com/fcs-pac-12-rebuild-domino-effect-bzbz/

 

[OrgonGriz]

We need money !

Well the MWC looks to get a sizable chunk of $$$ from the PAC. I suspect maybe some of that money could be used to “aid” a school to transition?? Maybe not IDK

 

[Griz til I die]

The MWC would be getting at least $14 million from each school that exits the league. Currently that means they would be receiving $56 million from these 4 departing schools, and if anybody else were to go like UNLV, they would keep adding $14 million. That would most certainly be more than enough to help FCS schools (if that's the route they choose to go) to pay the $5 million move up fee, fund the additional scholarships for Football, and add 2 additional sports. Not to mention the increase in tv money as well.

Seems to me like the money is there. We probably would need a little bit of help from the state, but the good news is the legislature meets in January, and if they have another billion dollar budget surplus, maybe instead of raising everybody's property taxes, they could instead give UM and msu more funding.

 

[HelenaHandBasket]

They make more than they would in the PAC 2, and the prestige of the two leagues (for now) are not remotely comparable. Not to mention Cal and Stanford are now subject to the same legal ramifications (fees) of attempting to leave. Until the ACC completely falls apart, Cal and Stanford are a non-option for the PAC.

But even with the same ramifications, Cal and Stanford are currently only receiving 30% shares, which significantly lowers any fee. Based on that, their buyout from the ACC could be similar or even less to what the MWC teams have to pay.

 

[Berkeley_Griz]

But even with the same ramifications, Cal and Stanford are currently only receiving 30% shares, which significantly lowers any fee. Based on that, their buyout from the ACC could be similar or even less to what the MWC teams have to pay.

It would still be a buyout, to go to a dramatically less prestigious league where their long-term financial potential is also dramatically less.

 

[Ut-Grizfan]

The MWC would be getting at least $14 million from each school that exits the league. Currently that means they would be receiving $56 million from these 4 departing schools, and if anybody else were to go like UNLV, they would keep adding $14 million. That would most certainly be more than enough to help FCS schools (if that's the route they choose to go) to pay the $5 million move up fee, fund the additional scholarships for Football, and add 2 additional sports. Not to mention the increase in tv money as well.

Seems to me like the money is there. We probably would need a little bit of help from the state, but the good news is the legislature meets in January, and if they have another billion dollar budget surplus, maybe instead of raising everybody's property taxes, they could instead give UM and msu more funding.

We need to take this opportunity to move up, there won't be any better chance then now when the MWC HAS to add schools to maintain stability

 

[Hoops watcher]

It would still be a buyout, to go to a dramatically less prestigious league where their long-term financial potential is also dramatically less.

Not much less when FSU and Clemson bolt. At least football wise. And when they finally get down to the 32 or 40 team 100 million payroll football league they won't have any more in it than the new PAC.