July 1, 2026, arrived with more than a calendar flip for the Pac-12. It marked the start of something brand new.
Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, Texas State and Utah State are now official members of the conference, giving Washington State and Oregon State the rebuilt league they spent two years trying to assemble.
That turnaround looked far from certain when 10 of the Pac-12’s 12 schools left two years ago. Washington State and Oregon State stayed behind, and plenty of people figured the conference would run out of runway after the NCAA’s two-year allowance for a league of two. Instead, the two remaining schools held on, worked patiently and helped put together a new West Coast conference built on the old Pac-12 name and foundation.
For the schools arriving now, this is a major step. San Diego State was on the verge of getting into the Pac-12 before everything collapsed, and Boise State had long looked like a natural fit. Gonzaga always made geographic sense, even if it never matched the criteria other schools in the conference seemed to want.
Fresno State, Colorado State and Utah State also get a bigger stage in this version of the league. Texas State brings one of the most striking jumps of all: just 14 years ago, it made the move to FBS football and joined the now defunct WAC.
A Texas State fan from that day would have had a hard time imagining the school ending up in the Pac-12 this quickly. It may not be the same conference it once was, but it is still a huge leap.
That shift gives the league a different feel, too. The old Pac-12 was defined by tradition and success.
This version feels more defiant - a group of state schools, plus one small private university, that spent years being told they were not quite enough for the sport’s biggest stage. That attitude fits college sports just fine.
Underdogs have always been part of the appeal.
Boise State is a perfect example of that. The Broncos’ 2007 Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma remains one of the most memorable games in recent college football history, with Boise State entering as a touchdown underdog and pulling out a 43-42 overtime win.
San Diego State has its own recent reminder of what this group can do. Just three years ago, the Aztecs made their run to the men’s basketball national championship game. The message from the new Pac-12 is clear enough: this is not just a collection of schools out west, but a conference full of teams that have spent years beating expectations.
That same edge shows up in the way the league set up its football schedule. The Pac-12 left the final week of the regular season as an unprecedented “flex” week to better protect the conference’s best interests. The message there is just as blunt: the league does not care what others think.
Washington State already has history with nearly everyone who joined today. The Cougars have shared a conference with Oregon State for more than a century, and schools like Colorado State, Fresno State and Utah State could develop into real rivals.
Basketball meetings with Gonzaga will bring back plenty of distain for the school just up the road. And the unofficially named Snake River Showdown with Boise State is positioned to take the place of a potential rivalry week opponent.
The new Pac-12 has arrived with new members, new matchups and a new identity. For Washington State and Oregon State, it is the reward for hanging on. For everyone else, it is the chance to help lead a rebuilt premier West Coast conference into a new era.
In Other News...
WSU Fans Should Not Overlook What Texas State Is Building
Texas State has spent the last few years acting like a program that knew a bigger stage was coming. The school has put money into its athletic department, from a stadium naming-rights deal and an expansion project at UFCU Stadium to a new contract for football coach GJ Kinne, all while its teams have shown real growth in football, basketball and baseball. For Washington State fans, the lesson is simple: this is not a throw-in arrival, but a school that has been building itself to be taken seriously.
Now Texas State is stepping into the newly formed Pac-12 with Boise State, San Diego State, Utah State, Colorado State and Fresno State, with Oregon State and Gonzaga also in the mix. It is the sort of addition that should make every current member pay attention, especially since there are already some familiar names around the program for WSU followers. The bigger question is how quickly that investment and momentum translate once the Bobcats are asked to prove it against a new set of conference peers. [Read more 🡒]
Ronnie Harrison Could Be The Proven Piece Washington State Has Been Missing
Washington States search for a steady veteran presence in the frontcourt may have led to Ronnie Harrison, a transfer from East Texas A&M who brings more Division I experience than anyone else on the roster. After a productive season in which he averaged 14.7 points and 6.1 rebounds, Harrison arrives with the kind of proven production the Cougars have been short on, along with the versatility to score inside and also stretch the floor.
Coach David Riley views Harrison as the sort of player who can give the offense a different shape, and that matters for a team still sorting out its pieces. The bigger question is how Washington State will use him most effectively, because his blend of size, touch and mobility points toward a role that could move around the lineup depending on what the Cougars need on a given night. [Read more 🡒]