Report: Pac-12 leaders to meet with representatives from House, Senate on Capitol Hill

Pac-12 leadership seeks federal legislation following House settlement

United States Capitol | Jack Gruber/USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pac-12 leadership is heading to Capitol Hill next week for a meeting with lawmakers, Ben Portnoy of the Sports Business Journal reported on Thursday. 

Portnoy said the Pac-12 cadre will include commissioner Teresa Gould and select presidents and athletic directors from the conference’s eight members. Cassidy & Associates, a Washington D.C.-based government public relations firm, is assisting with the meeting, Portnoy reported. 

“The effort marks the latest visit to D.C. by college sports power brokers amid their continued efforts to lobby for federal legislation,” Portnoy wrote. “The passage of the House settlement by judge Claudia Wilken earlier this month was largely seen as a preliminary step by those within the industry to gain wider support for broader legislation from Congress.”

Along with the impacts of the House settlement, the Pac-12 continues to search for an eighth football-playing member and a media rights deal while mediation continues with the Mountain West. 

In September 2024, the Pac-12 filed a lawsuit against the MWC over the legality of a poaching penalty included in a football scheduling agreement between the entities. The Pac-12 and MWC began a mediation process on May 19 that is still ongoing. 

The Pac-12 has eight members 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 MWC and Gonzaga of the West Coast Conference. 

The Pac-12 must add at least one football-playing member before July 1, 2026 to reach the NCAA’s eight-team minimum to qualify as an FBS conference. Gonzaga does not compete in football. 

Earlier this week, ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Kyle Bonagura reported that Texas State of the Sun Belt is the heavy favorite to become the Pac-12’s ninth member. 

“With Texas State and the Pac-12, sources said the best way to explain the courtship is that the league is currently exploring making an offer in the upcoming weeks,” the duo wrote. “(Texas State) is expected to have voting support, as the league’s presidents are enamored with a foothold in (Texas) and (Texas State President Kelly) Damphousse’s leadership.”

Texas State’s buyout to leave the Sun Belt increases from $5 million to $10 million on July 1. 

With the loss of five schools to the Pac-12, the MWC has nine football-playing members signed up for the 2026 season: Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Illinois (football-only), San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming. UC Davis and Grand Canyon are also coming aboard as non-football members in 2026.