Texas State to join Pac-12 as football member in 2026

SAN MARCOS, Texas (AP) — Texas State is joining the Pac-12, giving the rebuilding conference the eighth football-playing school it needed to maintain its status as an FBS conference.

The Pac-12 and Texas State announced Monday that the Bobcats will join Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Oregon State, San Diego State, Utah State and Washington State as the nine foundational members of the new Pac-12, with the league’s official launch set for July 1, 2026.

Since Gonzaga doesn't field a football team, the Pac-12 needed one more to remain eligible as a Football Bowl Subdivision league. Only Oregon State and Washington State had remained in the Pac-12 after the departures of 10 teams to the three other power conferences: the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12.

Texas State has been in the Sun Belt Conference since 2013, after making its FBS debut with one season in the WAC in 2012. Texas State becomes the ninth all-sports member in the Pac-12.

"We are extremely excited to welcome Texas State as a foundational member of the new Pac-12," Commissioner Teresa Gould said. "It is a new day in college sports and the most opportune time to launch a new league that is positioned to succeed in today’s landscape with student-athletes in mind. ... Texas State has shown a commitment to competing and winning at the highest level as well as to providing student-athletes with a well-rounded college experience academically, athletically and socially. We look forward to seeing the Bobcats’ future trajectory continue to shine big and bright."

The Texas State campus is in San Marcos, which is only about 35 miles south of the University of Texas in Austin. Texas State has more than 40,000 students, and is among the 25 largest undergraduate enrollments among public universities in the United States. Kelly Damphousse, the president of Texas State, called joining the Pac-12 a historic moment for the school that is a national research university.

"Joining the Pac-12 is more than an athletic move. It is a declaration of our rising national profile, our commitment to excellence, and our readiness to compete and collaborate with some of the most respected institutions in the country," Damphousse said. "Our acceptance into the Pac-12 affirms the strength of our academic vision, our commitment to providing access to a Texas State degree, the momentum of our athletic programs, and the ambition that defines this institution."

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football