The Pac-12 Conference, once a cornerstone of collegiate athletics, is set to return in 2026 in a significantly altered form. The conference's dissolution was largely driven by the departures of prominent programs seeking more lucrative media rights deals, a trend that accelerated in the era of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL).
Washington, Oregon, UCLA, and USC migrated to the Big Ten Conference. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah moved to the Big 12. Cal and Stanford found new homes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), leaving Washington State and Oregon State as the remaining members of the original Pac-12.
The reconstituted Pac-12 for the 2026 season will feature Washington State and Oregon State joined by six new members. Five of these new teams—Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State—hail from the Mountain West Conference. The sixth, Texas State, comes from the Sun Belt Conference. Notably, all eight football programs in the new Pac-12 will have "State" in their names.
This new iteration of the Pac-12 is not expected to be viewed as a power conference. To reach the College Football Playoff, a Pac-12 team will need to be ranked higher than all other "Group of Six" conference opponents in the final top 25.
Among the new members, Boise State has a history of success as a top program in its former conference. Fresno State and Utah State participated in bowl games in 2025. Colorado State will aim to improve under former UCLA coach Jim Mora, and Texas State has secured bowl victories in each of the last three seasons.
In college basketball, Gonzaga will also join the conference, bringing the Pac-12's basketball membership to nine teams. The Gonzaga Bulldogs have a strong NCAA Tournament record, with appearances in the championship game in 2017 and 2021. The new-look Pac-12 is anticipated to be a highly competitive conference within the Group of Six, both in football and basketball.
The conference's origins trace back to the formation of the Pacific Coast Conference in 1915. The dramatic realignment marks the end of traditions like the Pac-12 basketball tournament in Las Vegas and the traditional late-season "Pac-12 After Dark" scheduling.