LOGAN, Utah, Sept. 24, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) — Utah State is headed to the new-look Pac-12 Conference in 2026.
USU officials announced plans Tuesday to join the rebuilding athletic conference beginning July 1, 2026, leaving the Mountain West along with Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State.
The Pac-12 also will include longtime members Washington State and Oregon State, which were left behind during a mass exodus from the conference earlier this year.
The Pac-12 Board of Directors voted unanimously Tuesday to add Utah State, with competition beginning for all conference sports in the 2026-27 academic year.
“We are thrilled to welcome Utah State University to the Pac-12, as they join us on this exciting journey forward,” Commissioner Teresa Gould said. “With President Elizabeth Cantwell and Athletics Director Diana Sabau at the helm, Utah State brings invaluable strategic insights and leadership that will greatly benefit our conference and its members as well as a history of competitive excellence and success. Today marks another exciting step for the Pac-12 — and it’s just the beginning of phase two.”
Utah State has been part of the Mountain West since 2013 and last season won a school-record four conference championships, earning regular-season titles in men’s basketball, women’s volleyball and men’s tennis, and the conference tournament in women’s soccer.
The Aggies’ combined winning percentage in football and men’s basketball over the past 10 seasons is 59.1%, which ranks third among current Mountain West schools behind Boise State and San Diego State.
“The vision of the Pac-12 Conference firmly aligns with USU’s mission and our commitments to the future,” Cantwell said. “This move unlocks new possibilities by directly enhancing the student-athlete experience and will significantly strengthen our reputation for competitive success, academic achievement, and research excellence.”
“Joining the Pac-12 Conference exemplifies our commitment to elevating USU academics and athletics,” Sabau added. “This will position all our teams in a multi-bid league for the NCAA postseason and championships. This is an incredible opportunity for our student-athletes, as well as our alumni, investors, the HURD and our Logan and Cache Valley communities and all of Aggie Nation.”
The University of Utah was among the 10 schools to leave the once-proud Pac-12 following the 2023-24 academic year. The Utes joined the Big 12 Conference on July 1, along with fellow Pac-12 defectors Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado.
Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington joined the Big Ten, while Stanford and Cal found new homes in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The departures left the storied athletic conference on life support, with only two schools remaining for the 2024-25 academic year.
The Pac-12 began play in 1916 as the Pacific Coast Conference, with original members Oregon, Washington, Cal and Oregon State (then known as Oregon Agricultural College). Washington State joined in 1917.
