The Pac-12's Newest Member Finally Revealed
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The Pac-12 finally has a new member. Texas State announced today that they have accepted an n invitation to join the Pac-12. The Bobcats will be expected to join the conference effective July 1, 2026.
"We are extremely excited to welcome Texas State as a foundational member of the new Pac-12," said Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould 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."
Texas State and the Pac-12 needed to reach an agreement before July 1st, the five million dollar exit fee that the Bobcats will pay the Sun Belt conference would have doubled to 10 million on July 1st. Texas State went 5-3 in Sun Belt Conference play last year while going 8-5 overall on the season. The Bobcats had a nail-biter game against Arizona State last season, dropping a 31-28 decision to a Sun Devils team that would advance to the College Football Playoff.
What does Texas State joining the Pac-12 mean for Oregon State? Basically, the athletic staff on campus in Corvallis can finally take a breath as the league now has enough FBS programs to operate as an FBS conference in 2026.
The Bobcats play at UFCU Stadium in San Marcos, a 27,149 seat stadium that was recently remodeled to include 450 club seats and 15 luxury boxes. The Bobcats brand has grown exponentially in the last decade, two of Texas State’s top ten attendance counts at UFCU Stadium came last season, while six of their top ten highest attendance counts came within the last four seasons.
The decision by the Pac-12 to add Texas State could help Oregon State in the long-run. Having a conference team in Texas could potentially unlock some recruiting for the Beavs in the Lone Star State. While Texas State is obviously dwarfed in comparison to Texas, Texas A&M, and Baylor, they still have the pull and the facilities to be an excellent addition to the revamped Pac-12.
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Kyle is a 2019 graduate of Southern Oregon University and currently does play-by-play for SOU football and men’s and women’s soccer. He hosts a daily sports show in southern Oregon on The Ace Sports Radio, 107.9 FM and 1300 AM. Kyle also does play-by-play for the Rogue Valley Royals hockey team and the North Medford High School Black Tornado for TableRockSports.net. Kyle lives in Ashland, Oregon with his wife and a Dalmatian named Penny.