Our long, strange march towards two mega-conferences took another step forward Monday as the Pac-12 definitely welcomed one new member, might be close to welcoming another one (or several), and a bunch of schools on the other side of the country announced they will not be taking part in conference realignment.
At least not for now.
Let’s get caught up on all of Monday’s conference reshuffling madness.
So, who is joining the Pac-12?
Utah State, who, according to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, received the terms of membership and has agreed to leave the Mountain West for the Pac-12.
The Aggies will be joining Oregon State, Washington State, Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State, and Fresno State, with the last four joining in 2026. The conference needs one more full member to meet NCAA requirements.
Who might also be joining the Pac-12?
The big report from earlier in the day was that Gonzaga would be joining the Pac-12 as a basketball-only member. However, Brett McMurphy’s initial report was refuted by several college football insiders and reporters, all of whom said the two sides have had discussions but nothing had been decided yet. Gonzaga’s AD also strongly refuted the report. Several reporters noted that Gonzaga may very well eventually make this move, but it hasn’t happened yet.
Since geography means nothing in college sports anymore, the UConn Huskies are also reportedly talking to the Pac-12 about becoming a football-only member, per Dellenger. They’ll rack up some serious frequent flyer miles if that comes to pass. They can have a good laugh about it with Stanford and Cal.
The most logical 8th school to join the Pac-12 might be UNLV, which is “still in play” according to John Canzano. Adding Las Vegas to the conference would make sense and likely make it a hub for conference championships.
Who isn’t joining the Pac-12?
Memphis, Tulane, South Florida, and UTSA, all of whom reaffirmed their commitment to the American Athletic Conference on Monday. All four schools had “seen presentations from the Pac-12” but decided that uncertainty around the league’s future, travel logistics, and an exorbitant AAC exit fee made it unreasonable.
Per Dellenger, the Air Force Academy committed to remaining in the MWC, though he noted later in the day that this commitment is contingent on the conference having enough teams to keep playing, which it may not soon. Nevada and San Jose State remain on the clock.
What happens next?
Who knows? That’s the beauty and horror of conference realignment. Just about anything is possible, and we mean anything…
It’s gonna be hilarious when the Pac-12 finally gets to 8 schools and then Washington State and Oregon State leave for the MWC.
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) September 24, 2024
There’s still plenty of Monday left so we’ll update this post with any new additions or subtractions from the Pac-12 as they happen.
UPDATE: Dellenger noted Monday evening that UNLV never signed a recommitment agreement with the MWC, which means they remain very much in play. He also reiterated that even though the Air Force did sign the agreement, it’s null if the conference doesn’t have enough teams.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.