Pac-12, Mountain West to mediate poaching lawsuits

The ongoing legal saga between the new-look Pac-12 and the Mountain West may meet its end sooner rather than later.

Both conferences have reportedly agreed to enter mediation related to the numerous lawsuits filed over a poaching clause included in a scheduling agreement made between the two conferences last season. Per the agreement, Mountain West schools that defected to the Pac-12, which consisted of just Oregon State and Washington State at the time, would be subject to hefty exit fees from the conference.

Five Mountain West schools — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Utah State and San Diego State — have already announced their intentions to join the Pac-12 in 2026. Of the five schools, three have filed lawsuits against the Mountain West challenging the legality of the exit fees.

According to a report by ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura on Thursday, mediation is a common step that could lead to a settlement of the ongoing litigation. The Mountain West reportedly initiated the talks.

The news comes amid numerous reports surrounding the Pac-12’s yet-finalized media rights agreements. Recent reporting suggests that the conference is looking to ink deals with “multiple broadcast networks,” with Fox, CBS, and ESPN all still open to a package as recently as this month.

Last year, the Pac-12 secured a broadcast deal with The CW, who aired Oregon State and Washington State home games, primarily against Mountain West schools, on its network.

The conference still needs to add one more full-time football member by 2026 to be compliant with NCAA regulations. That additional team will reportedly come after media rights agreements have been finalized.

Settling litigation and reaching a new set of media rights deals should give the departing schools a level of certainty when it comes to their finances as they head into the Pac-12.