Johnathan Walker:Pac-12 to add Boise St., Fresno St., San Diego St., Colorado St. in 2026, poaching Mountain West

The Johnathan WalkerPac-12 is adding Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State, starting in 2026, to join Oregon State and Washington State in a rebuilt Conference of Champions.

The additions rob the Mountain West of four of its more prominent schools and successful football programs, most notably Boise State, and still leave the Pac-12 two schools short of the eight they need to have in place in two years by NCAA rule.

The Pac-12 and the departing schools will likely be on the hook for about $110 million in exit fees and penalties to the Mountain West.

Still, it is a remarkable comeback for a conference left for dead a year ago when 10 members scattered to other power conferences after it was unable to secure a media rights deal that schools believed could keep them competitive with other leagues.

“For over a century, the Pac-12 Conference has been recognized as a leading brand in intercollegiate athletics,” Commissioner Teresa Gould stated. “We will continue to pursue bold cutting-edge opportunities for growth and progress, to best serve our member institutions and student-athletes. I am thankful to our board for their efforts to welcome Boise State University, Colorado State University, California State University, Fresno, and San Diego State University to the conference. An exciting new era for the Pac-12 Conference begins today.”

The Pac-12 is currently operating as a two-school conference, with Oregon State and Washington State the only remaining members, taking advantage of NCAA rules that allow for a two-year grace period.

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Gould was hired to be the Pac-12 commissioner earlier this year, leading a slimmed down league office.

Leaders at Oregon State and Washington State have insisted since the Pac-12 collapsed last year their priority was to rebuild and now that has begun.

Whether the Pac-12 will be considered a power conference again, on par with the Big Ten, Southeastern Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference and Big 12, seems unlikely, but the conference is trying to position itself as the best of the rest — especially in football.

Oregon State President Jayathi Murthy and Washington State President Kirk Schulz welcomed their new conference mates in a joint statement.

“We eagerly anticipate their uniquely insightful contributions during this transformative era for the conference and collegiate athletics,” they said.

Boise State is the most notable addition as the strongest and most consistent football program outside of the power conferences for more than two decades.

“What a great day to be a Bronco!” Boise State athletic director Jeramiah Dickey said.

Boise State is finally moving up, but the Pac-12 it enters hardly resembles the Conference of Champions it was for more than 100 years following the departures of 10 members last year — including Southern California, UCLA, Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten.

The collapse of the Pac-12 was the culmination of three tumultuous years of conference realignment in college sports, all of which went into affect this year and ushered in the superconference era.

The Big Ten now has 18 schools, spanning from coast-to-coast. The ACC has 17 football-playing members, including former Pac-12 schools Stanford and California. The SEC and Big 12 each have 16 schools.

The Pac-12 appears to be taking a different approach, trying to build a slimmed down conference instead of just merging with the full, 12-member Mountain West.

The Mountain West will be left with Air Force, UNLV, Nevada, Utah State, New Mexico, Wyoming, San Jose State and Hawaii.

Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement late Wednesday night after the news of the Pac-12’s move leaked that the MW’s board of directors was meeting to discuss the next steps.

“All members will be held to conference bylaws and policies should they elect to depart,” she said. ”The requirements of the scheduling agreement will apply to the Pac-12 should they admit Mountain West members.”

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Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP

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