The Pac-12 is veering west.
Pac-12 leaders are working to expand after American Athletic Conference schools turned down interest in joining the league. The conference already has a commitment from Utah State University and has sent an offer to join UNLV, sources told Yahoo Sports.
Pac-12 leaders and consulting firm Navigate met late Monday night to discuss possible expansion options after it was announced that targets Memphis, Tulane, South Florida and UTSA had opted to remain in the AAC. The Pac-12 has continued discussions with basketball powerhouses Gonzaga and UConn and is considering other options, but UNLV remains its top target.
But the clock is ticking, and the Mountain West is sprinting to secure membership with financial incentives. Much of that incentive will come from exit fees and expected penalties paid to the league by schools that move to the Pac-12. The exit fees and penalties are expected to exceed $120 million.
The Mountain West is proposing a tiered wealth sharing where each member would receive financial benefits. In fact, the Air Force Academy already has a contract with the league, but that is now in question. The Air Force Academy has received offers from both the Pac-12 and AAC. If the Air Force Academy stays in the MWC, it is expected to receive at least a $10 million signing bonus, sources told Yahoo Sports. At least one other school, UNLV, is expected to receive similar financial benefits.
Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez set a Monday 5 p.m. Mountain Time deadline for schools to sign contracts as the Pac-12 scrambles to add more members. That deadline passed without a signature from UNLV.
The agreement with the Mountain West is tied to the conference maintaining eight full members, the NCAA minimum to be considered an FBS conference. Utah State’s departure brings the league to seven full members (Hawaii is a partial member, only in football). The Pac-12, with the addition of Utah State, also has seven full members.
In an effort to rebuild the conference, Oregon State and Washington State implemented the first phase of a multi-phase expansion plan last week, adding Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Fresno State. The teams will join the league in July 2026 and each will owe the Mountain West a withdrawal fee of at least $17 million.
The number of Pac-12 and Mountain West contenders is dwindling. UNLV’s situation in Nevada is interesting. The Nevada System of Higher Education and its Board of Regents govern both schools and must approve any conference affiliation decisions. Current Governor Joe Lombard is a UNLV alumnus. University of Nevada, Reno, President Brian Sandoval served two terms as governor and commands respect and power among the Board of Regents.
As for the Mountain West, the league needs to secure members from Conference USA’s UTEP to FCS Tarleton State before agreeing to terms with expansion targets.
