The Pac-12 is already making changes for its rebuilt football era, and one of the first moves hits right at the heart of game-day logistics: travel rosters are going up.
According to James Crepea of The Oregonian, the league’s athletic directors voted Friday to expand football travel rosters from 74 to 80 players for conference road games. The new Pac-12 is matching the Big Ten, which also raised its travel roster limit to 80 players for the coming season.
That adjustment ties directly to college football’s new five-for-five rule, which wipes out redshirts and gives athletes five years to play five seasons. Boise State coach Spencer Danielson is on board with it.
“It’s all hands on deck now,” Danielson said following Saturday’s scrimmage. “I tell them, ‘If anybody can get a role, (do it).
I might be a receiver, but can you get on kickoff because you’re better than anybody else? Let’s go.’
“Obviously, there’s still going to be travel numbers that we have to be in when it gets to league. Traveling to Oregon (in Week 1), it’s all going to be from a cost standpoint how many we can bring.
But if guys bring value to the team, we’re going to put them on the field. And I think that’s awesome.
It leaves the gray out of it now. … Now, it’s if you can help the team-because everybody’s clock starts the second they walk on campus-all hands on deck.”
The Broncos are still working through their numbers. College football rosters have been capped at 105 players since last season, and Boise State currently lists 113 players on its 2026 roster as of Sunday afternoon.
That means cuts are coming before the opener against Oregon on Saturday, Sept. 5.
There was another notable Pac-12 development over the weekend, too. John Canzano of the Bald Faced Truth by John Canzano reported Saturday that the league will use in-game coach and player microphones in 2026, with all eight Pac-12 head coaches backing the idea.
Canzano said those microphones will be part of broadcasts on CBS, CBS Sports Network, The CW and USA Network, the four networks set to carry every Pac-12 home football game.
The rebuilt league enters the season with Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State and Washington State making up the eight-team field.
And in Year 1, the Broncos are already the team to beat. After closing out a 15-year run of Mountain West dominance with three straight titles, Boise State is the preseason favorite to win the Pac-12 crown.
In Other News...
Boise State Still Has Two Crucial Jobs To Settle Before Oregon
Fall camp ended with Boise State getting what it wanted from its second scrimmage, and Spencer Danielson used the session to settle a few important parts of the roster. Max Cutforth was named the backup quarterback, while David Latu and Mikaio Edward earned the starting jobs at defensive tackle and Dylan Riley was settled in as the primary kick returner.
Even so, a couple of the most practical decisions are still hanging over the Broncos as the Oregon game approaches. Boise State is still sorting out who will handle punt returns and who will kick, with Jeremyah Lane in the mix for the return job and Canaan Moore among the options at kicker, leaving the final special teams picture still to be completed. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon Sounds Ready For Boise State But One Opener Question Remains
Oregon wrapped up its final major live-tackling scrimmage ahead of the season opener against Boise State, and the overall tone coming out of camp sounded encouraging. Dan Lanning said the team came through the workout relatively healthy, the defense held up well, and the kicking game showed clear improvement, all of which matters as the Ducks get down to the last stretch before a matchup that will put their preseason work to the test.
The opener still carries one lingering question, though, and it is tied to how much Oregon has really changed since spring. Lanning has pointed to Dylan Raiola as a player who has taken a major step forward during fall camp, while true freshman offensive lineman Immanuel Iheanacho has also turned heads in practice, leaving Boise State to prepare for a team that looks deeper and more settled than it did a few months ago. [Read more 🡒]