PAC-12 adds 4 teams!? What's next for the PAC-12, Mountain West

Late last night, reports started to come in about a possible move from four teams in the mountain west to the Pac-12. The internet was speculating wildly about what was going on, what teams it would be, and what would happen. Today, some of the answers to our questions have been answered, and some things are more confusing than ever.

What teams are moving?

Four schools are leaving the mountain west, starting 2026. Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, and San Diego State are all joining the PAC-12, now the 6-Pac. These teams were selected most likely for their media market and football prowess. Boise State fits into the first category, and SDSU, Fresno State and CSU all were more likely added to due media market and revenue.

What other additions will there be? 

The PAC-12 still needs two more teams to be considered an FBS conference by the playoffs, so they will need to add two more schools. They could keep adding schools from the Mountain West, or could look elsewhere for teams, such as the AAC. 

What are some schools that would be good for the PAC-12 to add?

UNLV: UNLV had the third highest revenue from an athletic department in the mountain west, and has a good media market in Las Vegas. They would also be a good basketball addition, and would be able to keep the travel time in the conference relatively low.

UTSA: UTSA has had good performances in football recently, with their most recent season being a 10-3 finish in the AAC. They have a good media market in San Antonio, and could also expand the recruiting footprint of the conference, opening up Texas as a recruiting ground.

Air Force: Air Force has a very recognizable brand as a service academy, and they would not be a financial drain on the conference. They would also be a good partner to pair up with Colorado State to potentially reduce travel time.

Many of these moves would negatively impact the Mountain West, as they would stand to lose massive revenue in these moves. If the PAC-12 starts to poach more teams, the mountain west may need to backfill with others. These are the teams that the Mountain West could add:

UTEP - The school is in a big football market in Texas, can provide access to recruits there and more talent coming to play in the Mountain West

NMSU - New Mexico and NMSU haven’t been in the same conference since the 40’s, but it is still a heated rivalry as shown by Diego Pavia’s actions last year. NMSU would add a good travel partner with New Mexico, and a solid football program to boost the conference's standing.

FCS teams such as Montana State, Montana, and Idaho - All of these schools are considered some of the best of the FCS, and two of them have beaten Mountain west teams already this season. They are in the area, and may add more talent to the conference. The state of Montana would be re-added as a potential recruiting ground and market, though not very valuable.

The future is still uncertain for both conferences and many teams, but this is certainly an exciting time in college football.