Boise State’s Pac-12 expectations after strong Mountain West run

Broncos captured seven MWC titles in 15 seasons

Boise State Broncos quarterback Maddux Madsen. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Boise State’s historic 2026 football season officially begins on Monday with the start of fall camp. 

The Broncos and four other Mountain West schools—Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State—exited the MWC for the Pac-12 on July 1. The rebuilt eight-team football conference will also feature Pac-12 holdovers Oregon State and Washington State and Sun Belt alumnus Texas State. 

The Pac-12 is the Broncos’ fourth conference home since the program moved up to FBS in 1996. 

Boise State spent five seasons in the Big West Conference (1996-2000) and 10 seasons in the Western Athletic Conference (2001-10). The Broncos closed their Big West run with back-to-back titles and won eight WAC championships, including a three-peat in 2008-10. 

Boise State then joined the Mountain West and captured seven titles in 15 years. The program’s MWC tenure also ended with a three-peat and featured a trip to the College Football Playoff in 2024.  

As of Monday morning, Boise State remains the favorite to win a fourth consecutive conference championship in Year 1 of the new Pac-12. 

DraftKings Sportsbook lists the Broncos as a +164 favorite to win the Pac-12. San Diego State is next at +400, followed by Texas State (+550), Fresno State (+600), Washington State (+800), Utah State (+1300), Oregon State (+2200) and Colorado State (+3000). 

Boise State has the 23rd-lowest odds to reach the CFP at +450. The Broncos are the Group of Six favorite in the CFP odds ahead of Army (+1000), Memphis (+1000), UNLV (+1000) and UTSA (+1000).

The Broncos will host Memphis in their home opener on Saturday, Sept. 12. 

With several key returning starters in all three phases, Boise State should be in the Pac-12 championship game on Friday, Dec. 4. Just like the MWC, the highest-seeded team will host the 2026 Pac-12 title game. 

At the end of spring practice, head coach Spencer Danielson was optimistic about Boise State’s chances to capture a fourth straight conference championship in 2026. 

“It’s going to come down to how hard we play and how physical we play,” Danielson said. “The three things that I’m doubling down on this year … (are) playing fast, playing hard and playing together, and the playing fast part is playing harder and more physical than every team. That is the foundation of this place and I know if we can say ‘Yes’ to those things, we’ll be hoisting the trophy in December and it’s going to say Pac-12 on it.”

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