Pac-12 expansion: Texas State makes it official as eighth football member of rebuilt conference

The Pac- s summer remodel continued Monday when Texas State accepted an invitation to join the conference July as the eighth all-sports member a vital move that both expands the Pac- s footprint into Texas and secures its future The news comes three years to the day that USC and UCLA stated they were leaving for the Big Ten causing a chain reaction that eventually led to the collapse of the conference a treacherous two-year stretch of uncertainty and now revival With the Bobcats moving over from the Sun Belt their home for the past years the new Pac- will meet the Football Bowl Subdivision requirement of eight all-sports members when it comes online next summer Since the fall seven schools have been committed Washington State and Oregon State the holdovers from the previous version plus Boise State Colorado State Fresno State San Diego State and Utah State which are set to join in from the Mountain West Gonzaga is also moving over from the West Coast Conference but isn t considered an all-sports member because the Zags don t compete in football We are extremely excited to welcome Texas State as a foundational member of the new Pac- commissioner Teresa Gould stated Monday in a news release announcing the Bobcats arrival It is a new day in college sports and the preponderance opportune time to launch a new league that is positioned to succeed in in the modern day s landscape with student-athletes in mind Texas State has shown a commitment to competing and winning at the highest level as well as to providing student-athletes with a well-rounded college experience academically athletically and socially We look forward to seeing the Bobcats future trajectory continue to shine big and bright The widely-expected move comes one week after the Pac- revealed a media rights agreement with CBS which begins next summer and runs for five years The conference remains in negotiations with other networks over the football and basketball inventory not covered by the deal with CBS That process hinges in part on the next expansion move if there is a next expansion move The Pac- could end its improvement phase with eight football members and nine for basketball Or it could pursue schools in football- or basketball-only capacities The decision will impact the number of conference games played in each sport which affects the inventory offered to possible media partners Either way the -year-old conference which imploded in the summer of has expanded into football-crazed Texas for the first time Related Articles Recap NCAAT expansion nears NBA Draft aftermath Pac- invites Texas St Mailbag Pac- invites Texas St the CBS deal the X factor MW moves CFB recruiting BYU lands Ryder Lyons Colorado awakens Oregon grabs a QB Pac- invites Texas State as critical th all-sports member Utah vs BYU Competitive imbalance in the era of unchecked NIL The Bobcats are located in San Marcos between Austin and San Antonio Much of their history was spent competing in the lower divisions but they transitioned to the Football Bowl Subdivision in and spent one year in the WAC before switching to the Sun Belt Their resume features two postseason appearances The and First Responders Bowls under coach G J Kinne This is a historic moment for TXST and Bobcat athletics university president Kelly Damphousse declared Joining the Pac- is more than an athletic move it is a declaration of our rising national profile our commitment to excellence and our readiness to compete and collaborate with specific of the most of respected institutions in the country Our acceptance into the Pac- affirms the strength of our academic vision our commitment to providing access to a TXST degree the momentum of our athletic programs and the ambition that defines this institution The Bobcats are expected to receive a partial share of conference media rights in their initial years laddering up to full-share status at the end of the decade Details of the financial component have not been revealed Send suggestions comments and tips confidentiality guaranteed to wilnerhotline bayareanewsgroup com or call - - Follow me on the social media platform X WilnerHotline