Last week, the newly reformed Pac-12 made headlines after securing a multi-year agreement with CBS Sports, which keeps live college football and basketball games on the company’s networks and Paramount+ through the 2030-31 season.
Now, the conference announced that the Texas State Bobcats are joining the conference on July 1, 2026, after all eight current and future members unanimously voted. Texas State will join as a member in all sports, which gives the Pac-12 the required number of members for FBS status.
Currently, Oregon State and Washington State are the lone two members of the old version of the Pac-12, and they will take the field on various networks during the upcoming college football season. In 2026, along with Texas State, the new Pac-12 will be home to Boise State Broncos, Colorado State Rams, San Diego State Aztecs, and Fresno State Bulldogs in all sports. Additionally, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are joining as a non-football playing member.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Texas State as a foundational member of the new Pac-12,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould in a statement. “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. Under great leadership from Dr. Kelly Damphousse, Don Coryell and excellent head coaches, 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.”
“This is a historic moment for TXST and Bobcat Athletics,” said TXST President Kelly Damphousse. “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. Our acceptance into the Pac-12 affirms the strength of our academic vision, our commitment to providing access to a TXST degree, the momentum of our athletic programs, and the ambition that defines this institution.”
With CBS Sports handling the primary broadcast of Pac-12 football and basketball games through the 2030-31 season, the conference is expected to announce another media partner soon. In the past, we’ve looked at potential partners for the new Pac-12, and with the media industry changing, here are four possible scenarios for the conference.
Frontrunner: The CW
The current incarnation of the Pac-12, the Pac-2 of Oregon State and Washington State, are playing a handful of games this upcoming season on The CW. The network also airs ACC college football and basketball games, with that deal set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season. CW Sports has not shied away from the idea of adding more college football games as it looks to become a major player in the live sports space. Later this summer, the network is making history as the home of the broadcast debut of the Savannah Bananas.
With nearly all US households having access to the network via an antenna, live sports have strengthened CW’s programming. More than 40 million people have watched live sports on the network, and with the success of airing college bowl games, The CW wants to add to its college landscape. A deal with the Pac-12 would give the new mid-major conference another national broadcast TV platform, which would pair well with the coverage from CBS.
The College Football Powerhouse: ESPN/ABC
ESPN and ABC remain the bedrock of Thursday night, Friday night, and marquee weekend games for the three of the Power Four conferences: ACC, Big 12, and SEC. ESPN via its direct-to-consumer service ESPN+, also streams four of the Group 5 mid-major conferences: The American, Conference USA, MAC, and Sun Belt.
Before conference realignment broke apart the previous version of the Pac-12, ESPN had rights to select games, including the conference championship every other year. Now, as ESPN gears up to launch its new enhanced streaming app for $29.99 per month, adding the Pac-12 could help bolster subscribers at launch. Even though the Conference of Champions doesn’t have the heavyweight members of its previous eras, adding these West Coast schools would give the network more late-night programming for those on the East Coast, and utilizing ABC would add to the Pac-12’s national broadcast footprint.
The Sleeper: FOX Sports & FOX Broadcast Network
During the 2024 season, FOX Sports covered Oregon State and Washington State games under a one-year stopgap. FOX’s college football coverage is anchored by the Big Noon Kickoff, which spotlights the Big 12 and the Big Ten (which it also co-owns the Big Ten Network with).
Although the network isn’t airing Pac-12 games in 2025, it will air 22 Mountain West Conference games from the Mountain West, and by 2026, things could drastically change.
Like ESPN, FOX is launching its direct-to-consumer app FOX One this fall. The app brings all of the company’s networks under one roof, and reuniting with the Pac-12 would strengthen West Coast programming and may persuade viewers to sign up. Like CBS, the CW, and ABC, having another national broadcast partner would provide unmatched accessibility for the conference.
The Field: Streamers & Future Linear Spinoffs
If the Pac-12 is looking to go digitally exclusive with its second partner, then Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Netflix could come calling. Each has aggressively added more live sports over the past few years, and the price tag of a mid-major conference would almost certainly dwarf in comparison to the high-cost deals for MLB, NFL, NBA, WWE, MLS, and other leagues found across the platforms. Each of these platforms has millions of subscribers across the globe, so a second deal with either one gives the conference a tech giant in addition to its legacy partner.
TNT Sports and NBC Sports are two other possible suitors for the new Pac-12. Both of their parent companies have announced that they’re spinning off their cable networks.
Comcast, the parent company of NBCUniversal, is spinning off its linear TV networks, including USA Network, and others, into a new company named Versant. USA Network is the current home of Atlantic 10 men’s and women’s college basketball games and plans to pursue its own live sports rights in the future. Pursuing the Pac-12 allows Versant to be a major player without breaking the bank. Additionally, Peacock already airs Notre Dame and Big Ten games via NBC Sports, Versant could find a way to navigate Pac-12 rights onto the platform in a new agreement.
Last month, Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports, followed NBCUniversal’s lead and announced it was splitting its linear TV networks from its streaming and studio division. As part of the split, TNT Sports will be part of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Linear Networks, which features TNT, TBS, truTV, and others.
Currently, TNT Sports college offerings include: March Madness, Big East men’s and women’s basketball, Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball, and college football games, and the first two rounds of the College Football Playoffs as part of a sublicensing agreement with ESPN.
Beginning next season, the four-decade relationship with the NBA will have ended, leaving a hole in the network’s sports coverage. A deal with a recognizable brand like the Pac-12 would strengthen its linear offering and provide more live viewing across its networks.
The Conference of Champions found its eighth football-playing member with the addition of Texas State, and now it will continue to survey the field and tackle its next rights agreement. College football remains the ultimate prize for Saturday content for legacy networks and streaming platforms alike, and stability will be a key factor as the Pac-12 moves forward.