Boise State gives formal notice to leave Mountain West for Pac-12

The Pac-12 reached another milestone during its rebuilding process on Saturday.

Five Mountain West schools — including Boise State — all officially submitted their notifications for departure, according to multiple reports. Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State are leaving the MWC for the Pac-12 for the 2026-27 athletics season. 

The five departing members were facing a June 1 deadline to formally notify the MWC of their intent to leave. Any notice after June 1 would’ve caused each school’s exit fee to double from approximately  $18 million to $36 million. 

The unstable relationship between the Pac-12 and MWC has undergone many twists and turns over the last two years. 

In December 2023, the MWC and remaining Pac-12 members Oregon State and Washington State agreed to a scheduling partnership for the 2024 football season that included an option for 2025. The Pac-12 had lost 10 of its 12 members to the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12, leaving behind the Beavers and Cougars.

The MWC announced in September that the scheduling agreement would not be renewed for the 2025 season. One week later, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State all agreed to join the Pac-12. Utah State came aboard near the end of the month, followed by Gonzaga of the West Coast Conference in October. 

After adding the first four MWC schools, the Pac-12 filed a lawsuit over the legality of a poaching penalty included in the scheduling agreement. Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State are also suiting the MWC over exit fees. 

The MWC and Pac-12 began a mediation process on May 19 that is still ongoing. 

The Pac-12 must add at least one more football-playing member before 2026 to reach the NCAA’s eight-team minimum to qualify as an FBS conference. Gonzaga does not compete in football. 

Both conferences are also shopping for television deals for 2026 and beyond. 

Last week, San Diego State JD Wicker spoke candidly about the state of affairs at a fan event.

 “None of this is moving as quickly as I would like it to move for us to get the answers that we want,” Wicker said. “Very pleased with where we are from a Pac-12 standpoint. Obviously, we have to add another team. That will happen. 

“TV, I have a good idea of what our TV (deal) is going to look like with the Pac-12. Right now, we’re trying to wrap up various items around that, but we have a really good idea of what that’s going to be and we’re pleased with what that is going to be.”

The MWC has nine football-playing members signed up for the 2026 season: Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Northern Illinois (football-only), San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming. UC Davis and Grand Canyon are also coming aboard as non-football members in 2026.