The Pac-12 is pivoting west.
Pac-12 leaders are mobilizing in pursuit of more expansion members after a group of American Athletic Conference schools decided to spurn the league’s interest to join. The conference has already received a commitment from Utah State and sent to UNLV an offer to join the league, sources tell Yahoo Sports.
Leaders of the Pac-12, as well as its consulting firm Navigate, met late into Monday night over the potential options for expansion after it was announced that targets Memphis, Tulane, South Florida and UTSA opted to stay put in the AAC. The Pac-12 continues to hold conversations with basketball powers Gonzaga and UConn and is evaluating other options, though UNLV remains the top target.
However, the clock is ticking. The Mountain West is in a proverbial sprint to secure its membership with financial incentives, much of which are derived from the exit and expected penalty fees owed to the league from those schools that left for the Pac-12. The exit and penalty fees are expected to eclipse $120 million.
The Mountain West is proposing a tiered distribution of the wealth, with each member receiving a financial boost. In fact, the Air Force Academy has already signed an agreement with the league, though it is now in question. Air Force has been courted by both the Pac-12 and the AAC. If it stays in the MWC, Air Force is expected to receive a signing bonus of at least $10 million, sources tell Yahoo Sports. At least one other school, UNLV, is expected to receive a similar financial bonus.
Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez set a 5 p.m. MT Monday deadline for schools to sign a deal as the Pac-12 raced to poach more members. That deadline passed without a signing from UNLV.
The Mountain West agreement is tied to the conference remaining at eight full members, the NCAA minimum to be considered an FBS conference. Utah State’s exit puts the league at seven full members (Hawaii is a partial member only competing in football). The Pac-12, with the addition of Utah State, is at seven full members as well.
In an effort to rebuild the conference, Oregon State and Washington State executed the first phase of a multi-step expansion effort last week, adding Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Fresno State. The teams will join the league in July of 2026 and each owe the Mountain West an exit fee of at least $17 million.
The pool of candidates is shrinking for the Pac-12 and the Mountain West. UNLV’s situation in Nevada is an interesting one. The Nevada System of Higher Education and its board of regents governs both schools and must approve decisions related to conference affiliation. The current governor of the state, Joe Lombardo, is a graduate of UNLV. The president of University of Nevada-Reno, Brian Sandoval, is a two-term governor of the state who holds respect and power among the regents.
As for the Mountain West, the league must secure membership before agreeing to terms with expansion targets, which range from Conference-USA’s UTEP to FCS Tarleton State.
