Pac-12 signs new media rights deal

The Pac-12 has extended its media rights partnership with CBS Sports through the 2030-31 season, the conference announced Monday.

The renewed deal will grant CBS Sports and Paramount+ access to marquee football and basketball games and serves as another pivotal building block for a league that's trying to rebuild after nearly evaporating two summers ago due to conference realignment. The new agreement is also set to make CBS Sports the "primary long-term" media partner of the Pac-12, with additional TV partners to be announced at a later date.

"Our goal with this process was to find transformational partnerships for the new Pac-12, and throughout our discussions and time together it became more and more clear that a partnership with CBS Sports would be just that," Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould said in a statement. "I am thankful to the team at CBS Sports for seeing our vision and investing in our shared future as we build, launch and realize a new Pac-12 together."

Octagon, the Pac-12’s exclusive media rights advisor, served as advisor for both the 2025 partnership and subsequent long-term extension, which will go into effect starting 2026-27. As for the upcoming athletics season, the Pac-12 has a temporary deal to broadcast Oregon State and Washington State football games on CBS, The CW and ESPN, with contests against Mountain West teams streaming on TNT Sports or Fox.

All eight members of the Pac-12 have signed their Grant of Rights and membership agreements, cementing July 1, 2026 as the official date in which Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State and Utah State join Oregon State and Washington State to form a new version of the once 100-year-old league.

With a new media deal in place, the Pac-12 is expected to heavily court Texas State about membership, according to Yahoo! Sports' Ross Dellenger. The two parties are reportedly working toward a membership agreement that would start in fall of 2026, though no deal has been finalized, per Dellenger. The Bobcats have been considered the heavy favorites to come aboard the Pac-12 for months now, as the league has been looking for an eighth football-playing school in hopes of potentially regaining power conference status.

The Pac-12's current standing in the college athletics landscape is rather unique. The league has lost autonomous status following the departure of 10 schools to the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, though is still involved in monumental changes happening in college sports with regard to the House settlement.

The Pac-12, along with the four power conferences, are named defendants in the landmark lawsuit that is ushering into the industry revenue sharing with athletes. Per Dellenger, league administrators are scheduled to visit lawmakers this week in Washington D.C. as industry executives continue lobbying for a federal college sports bill.

The exact financials of the Pac-12's media deal were not disclosed, though Dellenger reports the final annual per-school figure is expected to be lower than what was previously projected last year ($8-15 million).

Pac-12-CBS Sports media rights extension details

• Annual football championship game on CBS and streamed live on Paramount+.
• Annual men’s basketball tournament championship game on CBS and Paramount+.
• A minimum of three regular season football games on CBS and Paramount+ each season.
• A minimum of three regular season men’s basketball games on CBS and Paramount+ each season.
• Football and men’s basketball games throughout the regular season on CBS Sports Network, with details to be announced at a later date.