4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

[MLcardinalfan]

Four teams are joining the PAC in 2026-27: Boise St, Colorado St, Fresno St, and San Diego St. Full article on ESPN. https://www.espn.com/college-footbal...et-join-pac-12

[jello1717]

Re: 4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

I got half of those right in my dynasty. In 2025 I brought back Stanford and Cal and added SDSU, Fresno, SJSU, and Hawai’i to the Pac12 (making the Pac and MWC have 8 teams each).

[Ghost Of The Year]

Re: 4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

If so, its just a matter of time until the other MWC schools leave for the PAC, and if so we can start mourning the death of tbe Mountain West.

[sherrane]

Re: 4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

I got half of those right in my dynasty. In 2025 I brought back Stanford and Cal and added SDSU, Fresno, SJSU, and Hawai’i to the Pac12 (making the Pac and MWC have 8 teams each).

I moved Boise State, Fresno State, and San Diego State (who replaced my original Colorado State), but added teams from the American (UTSA, Tulane, Memphis. I will agree with you that Cal and Stanford will be the two they need to make an 8 team conference (NCAA minimum) unless they still can't get a TV deal done.

[sherrane]

Re: 4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

If so, its just a matter of time until the other MWC schools leave for the PAC, and if so we can start mourning the death of tbe Mountain West.

I disagree with this. It would be no different than Oregon State and Wazzu joining the MWC other than the name of the conference. TV wise it would be roughly the same money and it will not be a power conference. The Pac-12 only needs to get to 8 teams to be a conference according to NCAA rules. It will be interesting to see who they add. Cal and Stanford moving back? Arizona schools rejoin? Adding more from the MWC or American will not make a Power conference, which I have to believe is the ultimate goal of the conference.

[BoiseBronco2024]

Re: 4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

Four teams are joining the PAC in 2026-27: Boise St, Colorado St, Fresno St, and San Diego St. Full article on ESPN. https://www.espn.com/college-footbal...et-join-pac-12

So it'd be:

Boise State
Colorado State
Fresno State
San Diego State
Washington State
Oregon State

They should add San Jose State, Utah State, Nevada, and Hawai'i to it.

If they want to go to 12 teams, add UNLV and Wyoming as well.

[GoDucks1224]

Re: 4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

If so, its just a matter of time until the other MWC schools leave for the PAC, and if so we can start mourning the death of tbe Mountain West.

PAC doesn't want the bottom of the MWC. That's why they grabbed these 4, they'll probably end up taking UNLV and SJS and call it good from that point. They only need 8 teams by 2026 to keep their conference status intact. They'll be exploring options with some teams from the AAC, already talks of Memphis, Tulane, etc. They want this to be the best G5 conference, not MWC + 2PAC. That's why the reverse merger wasn't happening.

[BoiseBronco2024]

Re: 4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

I disagree with this. It would be no different than Oregon State and Wazzu joining the MWC other than the name of the conference. TV wise it would be roughly the same money and it will not be a power conference. The Pac-12 only needs to get to 8 teams to be a conference according to NCAA rules. It will be interesting to see who they add. Cal and Stanford moving back? Arizona schools rejoin? Adding more from the MWC or American will not make a Power conference, which I have to believe is the ultimate goal of the conference.

I'd like to see...

Boise State
Colorado State
Fresno State
San Diego State
Washington State
Oregon State

With Stanford, Cal, Oregon, and Washington coming back. If going to 12, would like to see USC and UCLA come back as well.

I feel Arizona and Arizona State never made sense in the PAC-10/12. They should've been in the Mountain West, but with the geographical mess NCAA football is now, I wouldn't be shocked to see Navy and Army join the Pac-12.

Who knows, really?

[GoDucks1224]

Re: 4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

So it'd be:

Boise State
Colorado State
Fresno State
San Diego State
Washington State
Oregon State

They should add San Jose State, Utah State, Nevada, and Hawai'i to it.

If they want to go to 12 teams, add UNLV and Wyoming as well.

They don't want the bottom of the barrel MWC teams. Speculation is UNLV, to corner the Vegas market, and SJS for the continued pacific footprint. Possibly Utah State, but not a given. Seemingly, they want to get Memphis, Tulane, UTEP, hold out hope for a Cal/Stanford return, or teams leaving ACC/B12 in the near future. They want it to be the best G5, with lofty goals of being the 'fifth power conference'. That's why the MWC reverse merger that everyone was pushing hasn't happened. They think they're above the bottom of the MWC, which I'd argue is true. And I think there are upper tier AAC teams that would want to be under the PAC branding.

[BoiseBronco2024]

Re: 4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

They don't want the bottom of the barrel MWC teams. Speculation is UNLV, to corner the Vegas market, and SJS for the continued pacific footprint. Possibly Utah State, but not a given. Seemingly, they want to get Memphis, Tulane, UTEP, hold out hope for a Cal/Stanford return, or teams leaving ACC/B12 in the near future. They want it to be the best G5, with lofty goals of being the 'fifth power conference'. That's why the MWC reverse merger that everyone was pushing hasn't happened. They think they're above the bottom of the MWC, which I'd argue is true. And I think there are upper tier AAC teams that would want to be under the PAC branding.

I understand. Was just trying to keep it geographically making sense but that's not the way of modern NCAA football and I personally think that that aspect stinks.

[GoDucks1224]

Re: 4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

I'd like to see...

Boise State
Colorado State
Fresno State
San Diego State
Washington State
Oregon State

With Stanford, Cal, Oregon, and Washington coming back. If going to 12, would like to see USC and UCLA come back as well.

I feel Arizona and Arizona State never made sense in the PAC-10/12. They should've been in the Mountain West, but with the geographical mess NCAA football is now, I wouldn't be shocked to see Navy and Army join the Pac-12.

Who knows, really?

Cal/Stanford are the only 2 that would even be remotely in consideration for that. But they left for the ACC instead of opting to stay with Wazzu/OSU to try to rebuild. So I highly doubt they will.

Arizona/ASU were part of the PAC for over 40 years. Being a PAC fan my entire life, they absolutely fit. They were a cultural fit, and were only a few hours drive from LA. Utah wasn't as much of a cultural fit, but we liked them. Colorado didn't make sense, and was never good while in the PAC.

Edit: Responded before your second comment. Obviously geographical logic is what we all wish was a thing. But that's long gone, and has been for over a decade at this point. My WISH is that the old P12 was still whole. Hell, even the P10. But that's for video games and my dreams at this point. I wish we had added BSU instead of Colorado.

[SilverBullet19]

Re: 4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

I hope not! I'm hoping this allows for the mountain west to bring in replacement teams! I think North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Eastern Washington and maybe Montana to be pulled up from the FCS.

If they look for FCS replacements, MWC would be wise to target Sacramento State. Sacramento is a big media market

[GoDucks1224]

Re: 4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

If they look for FCS replacements, MWC would be wise to target Sacramento State. Sacramento is a big media market

Sacramento State would be a great pick. I think Idaho would be a good one, but I don't think they're interested in going back up. But they held Oregon to 24, and beat an FBS team already this year, they whooped Nevada last year, and had a chance to beat Cal. Maybe if Montana also went, they'd go with them. But they seem comfortable where they are now.

[Wildcats302]

Re: 4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

I'm glad they will have a normal sized minimum league in the game in 2 years.

It's a mid major cupcake conference though. They can fight it out with the MAC and CUsA and so on for the 1 playoff cupcake conference champ bid.

[sherrane]

Re: 4 teams joining PAC in 2026-27

I'd like to see...

Boise State
Colorado State
Fresno State
San Diego State
Washington State
Oregon State

With Stanford, Cal, Oregon, and Washington coming back. If going to 12, would like to see USC and UCLA come back as well.

I feel Arizona and Arizona State never made sense in the PAC-10/12. They should've been in the Mountain West, but with the geographical mess NCAA football is now, I wouldn't be shocked to see Navy and Army join the Pac-12.

Who knows, really?

The SEC and B1G are the top money conferences. They are also the only current conferences who haven't had teams leave (you could make a case for the MAC to be included, but that isn't the point). I can't imagine why Oregon, Washington, USC, and / or UCLA would want to leave the B1G for the uncertainty of the new Pac-12.