Pac-12 remains without power conference status

Social media was reminded the Pac-12 still hasn't regained autonomy conference status

Gonzaga is joining the Pac-12 conference July 2026. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

On April 22, 2024, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors voted to strip the two-team Pac-12 of its power conference status, stripping the league of special decision-making authority within the NCAA's governance.

Over a year later — and not far removed from adding an eighth football-playing school to its roster — the Pac-12 is still trying to fully regain the legislative privileges it once held in college athletics before 10 of its member institutions up and left the conference for opportunities in other leagues around the country.

The Pac-12 is associated with the Power Four in all House settlement-related matters because the league was named a defendant when the suit was filed in 2020. But with regard to the College Football Playoff and the NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments, the Pac-12 isn't considered a "power conference," Yahoo! Sports' Ross Dellenger reminded social media on Thursday.

Dellenger's thread clarifying the Pac-12's standing in the college sports landscape appears to address confusion stemming from statements made by the College Sports Commission, the newly established regulatory body created to oversee the implementation of the major reforms outlined in the House settlement.

However, as for the NCAA & CFP, the Pac-12 is not a "power conference."

NCAA Board stripped the league of its autonomous legislative powers and the CFP Board reflected that designation with a tiered revenue-distribution model, though a new CFP governance model remains incomplete

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) July 31, 2025

The logos of the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC are sometimes stamped at the top of public announcements released by the CSC due to the leagues' legal ties through the House settlement; though the series of logos together can be misconstrued to appear as if the "Power Five" structure is back.

As Dellenger points out on X, the NCAA's decision to take away the Pac-12's autonomy status still stands.

The CSC sent out a revised memo Thursday to inform schools that booster-backed NIL collectives can directly compensate student-athletes if the transactions meet certain "valid business purpose" thresholds. The one-page notice clarifies comments made in a memo issued on July 10, when the CSC stated collectives would not be treated as valid businesses.

Last month, the league officially welcomed Texas State as a full-time member starting in the 2026-27 season. The addition of the Bobcats ensures the Pac-12 will meet the NCAA's minimum requirement of being in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

This time next year, the Pac-12 is on track to consist of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Utah State, Texas State, Oregon State and Washington State.