Reports: Pac-12 adds Utah State, in talks with Gonzaga, as Mountain West tries to retain UNLV

The Pac-12 is adding Utah State as its seventh member and is in talks with basketball giant Gonzaga to join the rebuilding conference in 2026, multiple people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.

In a hectic day of maneuvering by three leagues, Utah State and UNLV of the Mountain West became the top targets for the Pac-12 after a group of schools decided to stay out of the American Athletic Conference after attempting to join the rebuilding Conference of Champions.

Utah State, based in Logan, has accepted the Pac-12’s invitation, according to two sources, but UNLV’s decision was uncertain as Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez pushed to keep the conference’s remaining schools together.

The Mountain West received commitments from the Air Force and San Jose State earlier in the day, according to two other people with knowledge of that conference’s situation, but it was unclear whether anything was binding if the rest of the remaining members weren’t on board. The Air Force had courted interest from the AAC to join the Army and Navy in that conference.

The other schools in the Mountain West are New Mexico, Wyoming, Nevada and Hawaii (for American football only).

All attendees spoke on condition of anonymity because the Pac-12 and Mountain West strategy and internal discussions have not been made public.

The Pac-12’s latest expansion, which was not immediately confirmed by the league, came hours after four American Athletic Conference schools announced they would still commit to the AAC.

Memphis, Tulane, South Florida and UTSA issued statements that did not mention the Pac-12. Several people with knowledge of the discussions told AP that the conference had identified those schools as potential new members.

“While we recognize that other conferences have interest in our institutions, we firmly believe that it is in our individual and collective best interests to maintain our commitment to each other,” the schools said. “Together, we will continue to modernize the conference, enhance the student-athlete experience, achieve championship-winning success and build for the future.”

The Pac-12 began stockpiling for a 2026 relaunch two weeks ago, integrating Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State from the Mountain West into Washington State and Oregon State. They are the only two Pac-12 schools left in a sweeping realignment that went into effect this summer.

The Pac-12 needed at least two additional members in all sports to meet the eight-member requirement to become a recognized conference with access to NCAA championships and the College Football Playoff in 2026.

With Utah State now in the mix, that leaves just one team left and the conference is now exploring options beyond UNLV.

Saws

Adding Gonzaga would give the Pac-12 one of the top men’s basketball programs in the country. The Bulldogs have thrived in the West Coast Conference, reaching the NCAA Tournament every year it has been played since 1998, with two Final Four appearances and eight seasons with at least 30 wins. Gonzaga does not have a football program.

The school has talked to the Big East in the past about joining a conference, and the Big 12 has discussed adding Gonzaga to its strong men’s basketball roster, as it did with UConn earlier this year.

The Zags have also become a regular tournament team in women’s basketball.

The addition of Gonzaga would still leave the Pac-12 in need of an additional football player for CFP purposes.

Money matters

A person with knowledge of the discussions between the Pac-12 and AAC schools said the conference’s pitch included a projected annual media rights distribution of $12 million to $15 million to each school. The schools also were presented with options to participate only in football and basketball to alleviate the travel costs associated with other sports programs traveling across one or two time zones.

All Pac-12 schools are located in the Mountain and Pacific time zones. The Pac-12 targeted new members in the Central time zone as a way to increase its value to potential television partners.

Leaving the AAC would have been costly for the schools. The conference bylaws require 27 months’ notice for departing schools and a $10 million exit fee. The early departure requirement would have cost more.

When UConn left the AAC to return to the Big East, it cost the school $17 million, but the conference received a one-time $25 million from SMU this year to accelerate its move to the ACC.

The Pac-12 and its four newest members are already responsible for about $110 million in exit fees and fines to the Mountain West, a potential windfall for the conference to share with schools that decide to stay or join.

Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould declined to elaborate on how those costs will be shared between the new schools and the conference, which currently has about $250 million in revenue that the previous edition of the league was set to receive this year and next.

A football schedule agreement between Oregon State, Washington State and the Mountain West that was not renewed for next year includes a poaching penalty of more than $10 million per school, increasing as the number of schools that join the Pac-12 grows.

The fine is $12 million for Utah State and would increase to $12.5 million if UNLV also joins. That’s on top of a $17 million exit fee.