BREAKING: Four Mountain West Programs Bolting for Pac-12

LARAMIE -- Goodbye, Colorado State.

Farewell, Boise State. So long, Fresno State and San Diego State.

Those four programs Thursday morning officially announced they will be leaving the Mountain West Conference after the 2025 season to join Oregon State and Washington State in a new-look version of the Pac-12.

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That league will need to add an additional two members to become a qualifying FBS conference.

“We are taking control of our future at CSU by forming an alliance of six peer institutions who will serve as the foundation for a new era of the Pac-12,” President Amy Parsons said in a press release. “This move elevates CSU in a way which benefits all our students, bolsters our core mission, and strengthens our reputation for academic and research excellence. CSU is honored to be among the universities asked to help carry on the history and tradition of the Pac-12 as a highly competitive conference with some of the nation’s leading research institutions.”

"Boise State University has excelled across every metric by which we are measured, from the lab to the classroom to the field of play," Boise State President Dr. Marlene Tromp said in a statement. "We have shattered records for research awards, graduation numbers and philanthropic giving. Our exciting trajectory matched by the prowess of our storied athletic programs makes this the moment to advance to the Pac-12 conference."

This move comes with a hefty price tag.

All exiting schools will fork over a $17 million exit fee. The Pac-12, which struck a football scheduling agreement with the Mountain West for the 2024-25 season, will also hand over $10-12 million in penalty fees, per program, for poaching its members.

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Earlier this month the two conferences were in negotiations to re-new a scheduling contract. That alliance didn't happen. Financial differences played a key role, according to a report from Yahoo! Sports Ross Dellenger.

Oregon State and Washington State were left out in the cold last offseason when 10 member institutions bolted for greener pastures. USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington joined the Big Ten, while Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah found a new home in the Big 12. California and Stanford, who were also initially left out of the expansion arena, eventually accepted a deal with the ACC.

The conference's remaining assets -- NCAA Tournament revenue, College Football Playoff cash, a Rose Bowl contract and the settlement from the schools who exited -- will aid in the reconstruction of this 108-year league.

Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould and the conference Board of Directors strategically evaluated each university's application using five prioritized measures and established criteria, which included academics and athletics performance; media and brand evaluation; commitment to athletics success; geography and logistics; culture and student-athlete welfare, per a release.

The Mountain West, as of yet, has not made a formal announcement about these departures or the future of the conference, which now consists of Wyoming, New Mexico, Air Force, Utah State, Nevada, UNLV, San Jose State and Hawaii (football only).

According to Brett McMurphy from Action Network, the Pac-12 might not be finished raiding the Mountain West. UNLV and Air Force could also be candidates for expansion, he wrote.

A request for comment from UW Athletics Director Tom Burman has not yet been answered.

Among the many questions ahead: Will the Border War rivalry be preserved?

“These historic rivalries are important to our fans and institutions, and we very much want to ensure that they continue into the future,” CSU's Director of Athletics John Weber said in a statement. “It will be exciting to see new rivalries come out of this, too. The power of the Pac-12 lies in the fact the member institutions are situated in the West, have passionate fan bases and renowned sports histories.”

“For over a century, the Pac-12 Conference has been recognized as a leading brand in intercollegiate athletics,” Gould said in a statement. “We will continue to pursue bold cutting-edge opportunities for growth and progress, to best serve our member institutions and student-athletes.

“... An exciting new era for the Pac-12 Conference begins today.”

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