Pac-12 welcomes Bobcats as newest member

The Pac-12 is alive and well. After losing every team besides Washington State and Oregon, it looked like the iconic conference was going to need to shut down. However, it rallied up more schools to take part, and new life was born. Then despite numerous additions, the Pac-12 still needed one more football program to reach FBS requirements. Gonzaga is one of the new members, but it doesn’t have football. Now, the conference officially has its eighth football team and ninth school as Texas State is the latest addition.

“The Pac-12 Conference and Texas State University today announced the Bobcats will join the league for its next era as a foundational member of the new Pac-12 beginning with the 2026-27 season,” the Pac-12 announced in a statement on Monday. “Texas State joins Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Oregon State, San Diego State, Utah State and Washington State as nine foundational members of the new Pac-12, with the league’s official launch set for July 1, 2026. The Bobcats will join as a full member of the new Pac-12, participating in all conference sports.”

This is obviously a huge moment for the conference after everything had previously come crashing down during conference realignment. Now, it is being built back up.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Texas State as a foundational member of the new Pac-12,” Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould said. “It is a new day in college sports and the most opportune time to launch a new league that is positioned to succeed in today’s landscape with student-athletes in mind. Under great leadership from Dr. Kelly Damphousse, Don Coryell and excellent head coaches, 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.”

This move is a massive one for Texas State, a school that is currently a member of the Sun Belt conference. This conference is iconic, and the Bobcats are now part of it.

“This is a historic moment for TXST and Bobcat Athletics,” Damphouse said. “Joining the Pac-12 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 some of the most respected institutions in the country. Our acceptance into the Pac-12 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.”

Texas State will participate in the Sun Belt during this upcoming year, but the 2026-27 season will be the first for the new-look Pac-12.