Reborn Pac-12 announces first media rights deal with CBS

The CBS Television Network will be the primary home of Pac-12 football and men’s basketball from 2026-31, the new-look conference announced in a statement on Monday. 

Pac-12 games will air on CBS, CBS Sports Network and Paramount+. The announcement stated that additional media partners will be revealed in the future. 

Financial details were not disclosed in the announcement. 

“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 the 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.”

Added CBS Sports executive vice president Dan Weinberg: “As the new Pac-12’s primary media partner, CBS Sports’ top-tier coverage will showcase the best of the conference’s football and men’s basketball games annually across our platforms, including the championship game for both sports. Extending this partnership strengthens our multiplatform college football and basketball schedule and, at a pivotal moment for the new Pac-12, allows us to collaborate, grow the conference and expand its reach.”

The Pac-12’s partnership with CBS will begin this fall as the network is slated to broadcast a pair of the conference’s games: Washington State vs. Washington (Sept. 20) and Washington State vs. Oregon State (Nov. 1). 

ESPN and the The CW are also broadcasting Pac-12 games in 2025. 

The Pac-12 has eight members signed up for the 2026-27 school year: current members Oregon State and Washington State, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State of the Mountain West and Gonzaga of the West Coast Conference. 

The Pac-12 must add at least one football-playing member before July 1, 2026 to reach the NCAA’s eight-team minimum to qualify as an FBS conference. Gonzaga does not compete in football. 

According to a report from Amanda Christovich of Front Office Sports, the Pac-12 may expand before finalizing the remaining portion of its media deal. 

Here are some additional notes from Monday’s release:

• A minimum of three football and men’s basketball regular season games will air live CBS’ main channel per year.

• The Pac-12 football and men’s basketball tournament championship games will air live on main CBS.

• CBS Sports Network and Paramount+ will be the primary home of Pac-12 regular season football and men’s basketball games.

The MWC is in the middle of a six-year deal with CBS and Fox that is set to expire in 2026.