Report: Texas State expects to join Pac-12

Pac-12 must add one football-playing member before 2026

Pac-12 | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Texas State could officially be announced as the Pac-12’s ninth member at any moment.

According to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Texas State has told the Sun Belt Conference that they are expecting to receive an offer to join the new-look Pac-12. Thamel reported that discussions between the Pac-12 and Texas State intensified on Wednesday, with an official offer likely coming in the near future. 

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

The reborn Pac-12 has eight members signed up for the 2026-27 athletics season: current members Oregon State and Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State of the Mountain West and Gonzaga of the West Coast Conference.

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

According to Thamel, Texas State has been among the Pac-12’s top expansion targets for months. 

Located in San Marcos, Texas, Texas State made the move from FCS to FBS in 2012 and experienced little success until head coach G.J. Kinne’s arrival. The 36-year-old Kinne has led the Bobcats to back-to-back eight-win seasons in the Sun Belt and agreed to a new seven-year contract worth $2 million annually — one of the biggest deals in the Group of 5 — in November.

Notable Texas State alumni include 36th President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson and country music star George Strait.

Texas State has strong facilities with UFCU Stadium (28,000 capacity) and Strahan Arena (10,411 capacity). UFCU Stadium received a facelift in 2012, while Strahan Arena was scheduled to host a 2024 presidential debate that was canceled.

Texas State hasn’t qualified for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament since 1997. The Bobcats finished 16-16 overall last season with a 9-9 record in Sun Belt play. 

According to Thamel, Texas State held a verbal offer to join the Mountain West last fall but turned it down. The Bobcats now appear to be headed off to the Pac-12. 

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.