Conference realignment MADNESS | PAC 12 adds Boise State, Fresno St, Colorado St, SDSU | Who’s NEXT?

Commissioner Teresa Gould was on a flight from Dallas To Los Angeles than the Pac-12 Add Deal Boise State, State of Colorado, State of Fresno And State of San Diego reached his final hours.

Applications were submitted and board votes were held, but Gould couldn’t keep up because there was no internet on the flight.

“The first hour to 90 minutes of the flight were nerve-wracking because the Wi-Fi wasn’t working,” she told On3 on Thursday night. “So that was pretty nerve-wracking.”

Although communication remained up in the air, the deal still went through.

The Pac-12 officially welcomed the four new members Thursday morning, a crucial step in breathing new life into the league. State of Oregon And State of Washington had to fight to stay in the league last summer as schools rushed to join new conferences after the Pac-12 failed to secure a lucrative media rights package.

When Gould officially took office as Pac-12 commissioner in March, her top priority was to find a path for the conference’s future. Administrators at Oregon State and Washington State also played a crucial role.

Now the focus is on building the rest of the conference. In order for the Pac-12 to FBS Conference, there must be eight schools by July 2026. Thursday was only phase one of the expansion plans for the league.

“There is a lot of interest in the Pac-12 as a brand and a lot of interest in the future conference that we’re going to create and build from a lot of different stakeholders,” Gould told On3. “Whether it’s potential media partners, other corporate partners, institutions from other conferences, there’s just a lot of excitement and a lot of energy and a lot of interest in what we’re doing going forward.”

Pac-12 must activate the CFP look-in provision

Where the Pac-12 will turn in its search for new members will be an open question in the coming weeks. Sources told On3 that Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, UNLV, air force, Wyoming And New Mexico These should all be schools to keep an eye on. Cal And Stanford have signed the rights of the ACC until 2036, which makes an exit unlikely. As the ACC handles ongoing litigation with State of Florida And Clemson could play a role.

A source told On3 that the Pac-12 has been holding talks about the College Football Playoffs new $7.8 billion television contract that begins in the 2026-27 season. Gould said the new agreement includes a “look-in” clause.

The Pac-12 will automatically be eligible for a qualifying spot if it hits the eight-member mark. No specific number has been set for how many schools the conference hopes to add. As of this writing, Oregon State and Washington State will each receive $3.6 million in CFP distributions.

“The commissioners all agreed that this was an important element in this new agreement, given the landscape around conference realignment,” she said. “So my role going forward will certainly be to be No. 1, to build a Pac-12 conference and have a membership that is in the top tier of college football and competing at the highest level. And then I will work with my colleagues at the CFP level to activate that look-in clause – to see where we fit in this agreement going forward.”

Teresa Gould now focuses on the unification of the Pac-12

In the short term, Gould’s goal is to unite the four new schools with Oregon State and Washington State to create a vision for the future.

Sources told On3 on Thursday that discussions about adding Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State have intensified over the past 72 hours. Gould will now work to create the new Pac-12, with all six schools playing key roles in its future.

“We will continue to compete at the highest level and equip their athletic departments to a level that rivals the best facilities in this country,” she said. “We want to continue to provide these benefits to our student-athletes and will closely monitor and participate in these national discussions.”