USU joins the Pac-12 for the 26-27 season
Utah State University announced on Tuesday that it will be joining the Pac-12 Conference for the 2026-2027 season. It is the fifth school to leave the Mountain West Conference for the Pac-12, following Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State.
In a joint press release, USU and Pac-12 revealed they are excited about this collaboration, saying USU and the other schools joining Pac-12 will “collectively build the new era of the Pac-12 Conference.”
They also reported that USU submitted a formal application to join the conference, and the board of directors unanimously voted to admit the Aggies on Monday. USU will officially join the conference on July 1, 2026. In the press release, Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould shared that the Pac-12 was thrilled to admit USU.
“With President Elizabeth Cantwell and athletics director Diana Sabau at the helm, Utah State brings invaluable strategic insights and leadership that will greatly benefit our conference and its members, as well as a history of competitive excellence and success,” Gould said. “Today marks another exciting step for the Pac-12 – and it’s just the beginning of phase two.”
Since joining in 2013, USU has won several MWC Championships, including a school-record four in the 2023-24 season. USU’s combined winning percentage from football and men’s basketball is 59.1% over the last 10 seasons. This percentage ranks them third in current Mountain West schools, just behind Boise State and San Diego State.
USU also has a history of academic success, leading the MWC with 440 academic honors in the last academic year. Academic All-Mountain West recognition was awarded to 249 student-athletes, and 191 were named Mountain West Scholar-Athletes.
USU President Elizabeth Cantwell said this new conference fits with USU’s mission and future plans.
“The vision of the Pac-12 Conference firmly aligns with USU’s mission and our commitments to the future,” Cantwell said. “This move unlocks new possibilities by directly enhancing the student-athlete experience and will significantly strengthen our reputation for competitive success, academic achievement and research excellence.”
Vice President and director of athletics Diana Sabau added to Cantwell, expressing that this change is a great opportunity for the university and its community.
“Joining the Pac-12 Conference exemplifies our commitment to elevating USU academics and athletics,” Sabau said. “This will position all our teams in a multi-bid league for the NCAA postseason and championships. This is an incredible opportunity for our student-athletes, as well as our alumni, investors, the HURD and our Logan and Cache Valley communities and all of Aggie Nation.”
This shift has also sparked an antitrust lawsuit from the Pac-12 regarding the MWC’s “poaching” penalty fees, which are currently over $50 million for the schools that have left. The lawsuit was filed the same day the Pac-12 and USU announced its new partnership.
The lawsuit was filed by Keker, Van Nest & Peters in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on behalf of Pac-12. Pac-12 is suing MWC, claiming an “anticompetitive and unlawful ‘Poaching Penalty’ that the MWC imposed on the Pac-12 to inhibit competition for member schools in collegiate athletics,” according to the lawsuit. Eric H. MacMichael, a partner at the firm, will represent Pac-12 in the lawsuit.
“The Mountain West Conference’s attempt to charge the Pac-12 exorbitant poaching penalties as a condition for scheduling football games is unfair, anticompetitive and unlawful,” MacMichael said. “We’re proud to represent the Pac-12 in standing up for fair competition on and off the field.”
MWC Commissioner Gloria Nevrez said in a statement that the Pac-12 entered the contract without contesting the fees or claiming it violated any laws. She also explained these fees were put in place to protect the MWC.
“The provision was put in place to protect the Mountain West Conference from this exact scenario. It was obvious to us and everyone across the country that the remaining members of the Pac-12 were going to try to rebuild,” Nevrez said. “The fees at issue were included to ensure the future viability of the Mountain West and allow our member institutions to continue providing critical resources and opportunities for our student-athletes. At no point in the contracting process did the Pac-12 contend that the agreement that it freely entered into violated any laws.”
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.