Pac-12, Mountain West file motion to pause California poaching penalties case, enter mediation

The Pac-12 and Mountain West appear closer to resolving their legal fights over the latest conference realignment and more than $150 million in subsequent fees.

On Friday, both conferences filed a motion to stay their case in California, in which the Pac-12 sued the Mountain West over the $55 million in poaching fees owed to the Mountain West over the Pac-12’s additions of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State. Those moves were announced last fall and are set to happen in the summer of 2026.

“Today, at the request of the Mountain West Conference, the Pac-12 has agreed to file a mutual 60-day order to stay in the case to discuss mediation options,” the Pac-12 said in a statement. “It is important to state that we are in the early stages; no mediation dates have been set, and mediation is still uncertain. The Pac-12 remains confident in our position that the Poaching Penalty will be declared invalid and is committed to defending our stance.”

In late 2023, the Mountain West, Pac-12, Oregon State and Washington State signed a football scheduling agreement for the 2024 season. OSU and WSU lacked options following the set departures of 10 Pac-12 schools. As part of the agreement, the Pac-12 agreed to a set of escalating poaching fees if it added some, but not all, Mountain West schools. After the Mountain West and Pac-12 couldn’t reach an agreement for 2025 last summer, the Pac-12 added five Mountain West schools.

The Pac-12 filed its lawsuit against the Mountain West last September, arguing that poaching fees and agreement were forced upon them at a vulnerable time. The Mountain West said the conference and its two members made the agreement freely and made no objection at the time. In December, the Mountain West filed a motion to dismiss the case. That hearing is set for March 25, but the joint motion filed Friday asks to vacate that hearing and stay the case for 60 days.

Friday’s filing also noted that a separate case in Colorado involving Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State against the Mountain West over exit fees is also set to go to mediation. In that case, the three schools are challenging their Mountain West exit fees, which could range from $19 million to $38 million each.

“Plaintiff and Defendant are diligently working to schedule a mediation that could resolve this matter in its entirety,” the California filing reads. “In light of the parties’ agreement to engage in a global mediation with the parties involved in the related state court matter, the most efficient course is to stay this case in its entirety while the parties devote their efforts to resolving their disputes.”