Colorado State was one of the founding members of the Mountain West. A little over a quarter of a century later, CSU is leaving its long-time home to help rebuild the Pac-12 Conference.
Along with Boise State, Fresno State and San Diego State, CSU will be joining Oregon State and Washington State in the Pac-12 for the 2026 season. CSU will officially join the historic West Coast league as full members on July 1, 2026.
After reports of the move originally surfaced late Wednesday night, CSU and the three other departing MW schools confirmed things early Thursday morning, with each institution releasing a statement. The Pac-12 confirmed the news via their social platforms as well.
“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,” CSU president Amy Parsons said via 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.”
John Weber also commented on the big move in the release, stating the following:
“These six institutions are committed to rebuilding the Pac-12 into an innovative, nimble, conference with sports programs which put student-athletes first, strive to compete at the highest level and deliver amazing fan experiences and compelling content.
“This is a historic, transformative moment for CSU and a massive opportunity for our student-athletes. Joining the Pac-12 is an important step forward as we seek to deliver on an ambitious vision for the future of Ram Athletics.”
With CSU leaving the Mountain West and multiple programs that the Rams have traditionally played going all the way back to their days in the WAC, one of the biggest questions is what this could mean for the future of the Border War. According to Weber, there will be a priority to preserve traditional rivalries through non-conference scheduling, which is definitely encouraging. It takes two to dance though, so we’ll ultimately see what happens down the line.
At the end of the day, while it is bittersweet to see schools that have been together for decades go in separate directions, this is a move that CSU needed to make. The Pac-12 brand, even if it doesn’t mean what it used to, is still more valuable than the Mountain West.
It will be interesting to see what other schools the Pac-12 ends up bringing in for 2026. There are about a hundred different hypotheticals that I could float out, but the most likely scenario seems like it would be taking some combination of Memphis, Tulane, UTSA or South Florida.
Between exit fees and the added fees that stem from the scheduling agreement that Oregon State and Wazzu made with the Mountain West, it will reportedly cost close to $30 million per school for CSU, Boise, Fresno and SDSU to make this move to the Pac-12. With all of the revenue that the Pac-12 has coming in over the next few years, though, it would not be surprising if the Beavers and Cougars help foot some of that bill.
There is a lot to still be learned, but this is a historic day for CSU. The Rams have been investing in athletics at a high level for years. It’s exciting for them to have a chance to play a factor in this ever-changing landscape. The future is bright in Fort Collins.
