By Michael Adams
Austin Sports Journal
The Pac-12 Conference is actively seeking an eighth football-playing member to maintain its Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) status, and Texas State has reportedly emerged as the front runner to fill that role, according to reports Monday.
Per an ESPN report, Texas State is the “heavy favorite” to receive an invitation from the Pac-12, though no official offer has been extended.
The Bobcats, who have competed in the Sun Belt Conference since 2013, face a critical deadline.
If they notify the Sun Belt of their intent to leave by July 1, they can avoid a buyout fee doubling from $5 million to $10 million. That timing aligns with the Pac-12’s need to finalize its football membership for the 2026 season.
Speculation about Texas State’s potential move intensified after a social media post from the account “Lincoln Pare for Heisman” featured a photo of two beavers floating in the San Marcos River—a nod to Oregon State’s mascot. The image was originally shared on Instagram by Texas State President Kelly Damphousse, who later reposted the tweet, fueling rumors of a Pac-12 connection.
Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Utah State will join the conference in 2026, with basketball powerhouse Gonzaga also joining the conference. Gonzaga doesn’t field a football team leaving the conference without an eighth football member.
The new schools join longtime members Oregon State and Washington State in the reimagined conference after 10 members left for the Big Ten (Oregon, UCLA, Washington and USC), Big XII (Arizona, Colorado, Utah and Arizona State) and ACC (Stanford and California-Berkley) in 2024.
Texas State’s membership in the Pac-12 would give the conference a footprint in Texas, one of the most recruited states for college football.
It remains to be seen if the dominoes will fall before the July 1 deadline.
