Pac-12 officially welcomes Texas State to conference

Bobcats are Pac-12’s ninth committed member for 2026-27 athletics season

Texas State | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Texas State Board of Regents approved the school’s $5 million Sun Belt Conference buyout during a Monday morning meeting.

Later in the day, the Pac-12 officially welcomed Texas State to the conference. 

The Bobcats are the Pac-12’s ninth committed member for the 2026-27 athletics season. 

“We are extremely excited to welcome Texas State as a foundational member of the new Pac-12,” Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould said in a statement. “It is a new day in college sports and the most opportune time to launch a new league that is positioned to succeed in today’s landscape with student-athletes in mind. Under great leadership from Dr. Kelly Damphousse, Don Coryell and excellent head coaches, Texas State has shown a commitment to competing and winning at the highest level as well as to providing student-athletes with a well-rounded college experience academically, athletically and socially. We look forward to seeing the Bobcats’ future trajectory continue to shine big and bright.”

Added Texas State President Kelly Damphousse: “This is a historic moment for (Texas State) and Bobcat athletics. Joining the Pac-12 is more than an athletic move — it is a declaration of our rising national profile, our commitment to excellence, and our readiness to compete and collaborate with some of the most respected institutions in the country. Our acceptance into the Pac-12 affirms the strength of our academic vision, our commitment to providing access to a (Texas State) degree, the momentum of our athletic programs, and the ambition that defines this institution.”

OFFICIAL: The new Pac-12 just got bigger. 😼#TXST x #BackThePac pic.twitter.com/C4j1mLErx8

— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) June 30, 2025

The new-look Pac-12 has nine schools signed up for the 2026-27 school year: current members Oregon State and Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State of the Mountain West, Gonzaga of the West Coast Conference and Texas State of the Sun Belt.

Snagging Texas State was a critical step for the Pac-12, which needed to land another football-playing school before July 1, 2026 to reach the NCAA’s eight-team minimum to qualify as an FBS conference. Gonzaga does not compete in football. 

Texas State’s buyout with the Sun Belt is $5 million. The exit fee was set to double on Tuesday.

With an enrollment just north of 40,000, Texas State is the biggest school in the new Pac-12. Texas State is the seventh-largest university in Texas. 

The Bobcats recently won their second straight Vic Bubas Cup as the top overall athletics program in the Sun Belt.

According to multiple reports, the Sun Belt is expected to add Louisiana Tech to replace Texas State. Louisiana Tech currently competes in Conference USA.