Pac-12 leaders are seeking further expansion after a group of American Athletic Conference colleges rejected interest in joining the league.
Conference leaders discussed other expansion possibilities Monday, including efforts to target Mountain West Conference members UNLV and Utah State, the latter of which will now move into the Pac-12 Conference.
Utah State has agreed to join the new Pac-12, eventually becoming the seventh member school, sources told Yahoo Sports.
Every other school in the Mountain West has committed to rejoining their current conference, except for UNLV, which is still considering its options.
The Mountain West has proposed a tiered distribution of wealth to allow each member to reap financial benefits. Air Force signed such an agreement with the league on Monday. The academy is expected to receive at least a $10 million signing-on bonus, according to a Yahoo Sports source. At least one other school, UNLV, could also receive a similar financial benefit.
The Pac-12 is currently a two-school league but needs to have eight full members by the summer of 2026 to meet NCAA conference requirements. In an effort to rebuild the conference, Oregon State and Washington State last week implemented the first phase of a multi-phase expansion plan, adding Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Fresno State. Those teams will join the league in July 2026 and each will be required to pay a withdrawal fee of at least $17 million to the Mountain West.
Utah State and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas were the top targets in the Pac-12 Conference as of late Monday, but it’s unclear whether an agreement can be reached with the latter given the politics-filled situation in Nevada.
The Nevada System of Higher Education and its Board of Regents oversee both schools and must approve any conference affiliation decisions. Current Governor Joe Lombard is a University of Nevada, Reno graduate. University of Nevada, Reno President Brian Sandoval served two terms as governor and commands respect and power among the board.