Report: Texas State up next for Pac-12?

Pac-12 announced media deal with CBS on Monday, must add one football-playing member before 2026

Texas State Bobcats head coach G.J. Kinne. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Following Monday morning’s announcement of a media deal with CBS Sports, Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported that the Pac-12 has “engaged in conversations” with Texas State over potential membership. 

Dellenger said that a formal invitation could be extended as early as this week. 

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 needs to add at least one football-playing member 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. 

Earlier this month, ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Kyle Bonagura reported that Texas State was the heavy favorite to become the Pac-12’s ninth member.

Left with only Oregon State and Washington State in August 2024, the Pac-12 regrouped and added Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State last September. Gonzaga came aboard at the beginning of October.

Texas State, a top target of the Pac-12 for months, is a growing university in San Marcos, Texas, sitting roughly halfway between Austin and San Antonio. Texas State’s total enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year was 40,678, surpassing the previous record of 38,849 set in 2016.

A newcomer to high-level athletics, Texas State made the move to FBS in 2012 and experienced minimal success until head coach G.J. Kinne’s arrival. The 36-year-old Kinne has guided Texas State to consecutive eight-win seasons in the Sun Belt Conference and agreed to a new seven-year contract worth $2 million annually — one of the richest deals in the Group of 5 — in November.

Texas State reportedly turned down a verbal invitation to join the MWC last fall.

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. 

Dellenger reported that the Sun Belt is likely to target Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky of Conference USA if Texas State leaves for the Pac-12.