LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The college athletics realignment monster has once again reared its ugly head.
Just months after having 10 of its 12 members leave, the Pac-12 Conference announced that four Mountain West Conference schools (Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State) will be joining the revamped league.
The deal was finalized early Thursday morning and is set to kick in for the 2026 season.
The Mountain West released a statement Thursday afternoon saying in part:
"Given the announcement this morning on Boise State University, Colorado State University, California State University, Fresno, and San Diego State University accepting membership into the Pac-12 Conference, the Mountain West Board of Directors will meet to determine our next steps. All departing members will be held to the Conference bylaws and policies, and all requirements of the scheduling agreement will apply to the Pac-12. The Mountain West has a proud 25-year history and will continue to thrive in the years ahead."
All four schools are required to pay a $17 million exit fee.
The Pac-12 will also need to pay another $43 million to the Mountain West for poaching those schools as part of the scheduling agreement between the two conferences that was signed last year.
UNLV was not a part of the initial list of MW schools leaving for the new Pac-12 Conference.
However, it is important to note this move is the first domino to fall though.
With Oregon State and Washington State still technically part of the Pac-12, that makes the conference's total member count at six.
Per NCAA bylaws, a conference must have a minimum of eight members to be officially recognized as an FBS conference, so UNLV can still be part of this latest expansion.
UNLV president Keith Whitfield and Athletic Director Erick Harper released a joint statement saying in part:
We know that four members of the Mountain West have announced their intentions to leave the conference in 2026. Our focus remains on doing what is best for our institution, current and future student-athletes, alumni, donors and the greater Las Vegas community. We continue to evaluate all options.
In the meantime, the UNLV football team will be going on the road this Saturday to take on the University of Kansas in a rematch of the Guaranteed Rate Bowl last season.
