With the calendar ticking down the days of June, the newly reimagined Pac-12-ish Conference continues to make its fans wait for the announcement of the all-important eighth football playing-member institution.
They’ll have to wait just a little bit longer because Monday morning news broke of the also long awaited media partnership between the Pac-12, CBS, and Paramount Network. Now to some this may sound just like what the Aztecs received as part of the Mountain West—but not so fast.
The details of indicate it is a five‑year anchor deal (2026–27 through 2030–31.) CBS will serve as the primary broadcast partner, with games on the CBS Television Network, CBS Sports Network, and on streaming via Paramount+.
How that breaks down for each is as follows:
At least 3 regular‑season football games on CBS and Paramount+. At least 3 regular‑season men’s basketball games on CBS and Paramount+. The Pac‑12 Football Championship Game and the Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship on CBS and Paramount+.
In addition, some Pac‑12 football and basketball on CBS Sports Network, with details pending.
Reportedly this is all valued around $56 million to $80 million per year in total (approximately $7–10 million per school annually), though official terms weren’t released just yet.
We’ve known the eight teams comprising the new conference for some time now – holdovers Oregon State and Washington State, former Mountain West members San Diego State, Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State and Utah State, and non-football school Gonzaga.
That leaves the emerging conference one short of the eight football members required to qualify as an FBS conference.
But it’s important to keep things in focus. This anchor of the media deal matters because the deal gives the restructured Pac‑12 a credible long‑term foundation and distribution across broadcast, cable, and streaming outlets.
So what’s next?
To reach the NCAA’s minimum of eight football schools, the Pac‑12’s expansion decision is expected soon (deadline around July 1). So, who is out there that could come in and complete the slate of football-playing schools in time for the 2026 football season?
Memphis
For many, Memphis held the most appeal based on its successful football program – 11 consecutive years of bowl eligibility – and historically good basketball team with former NBA great Penny Hardaway at the helm.
But geography and finances, or more specifically a large exit fee if Memphis were to try and leave the AAC that the Pac-12 wasn’t able to cover a large enough percentage of to entice the Tigers to come west for its games, have made a move unlikely at this point.
We’ll see.
Sacramento State
With its recent moves of hiring former 14-year NBA veteran Mike Bibby as head men’s basketball coach and NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal as basketball general manager, the potential of Sacramento State has been touted by some as an emerging school in college athletics.
The school in the State’s capital city has announced plans for construction of a new football stadium set to open in 2026 and needed renovations to its basketball arena. With the backing of a prominent group of boosters known as the “Sac12”, the school continues to push to raise the athletic program’s profile to make it attractive for a bid to an FBS-conference, like the Pac-12.
Unfortunately, Sacramento State football remains an FCS school for the moment. The Hornets applied to become a FBS football school, but the request was recommended for denial by the FBS Oversight Committee a week ago. The school has appealed the initial decision and awaits word.
Texas State
And that leaves us with Texas State. A large public school in the city of San Marcos, Texas State offers an enrollment of more than 40,000 students. The Bobcats play in the Sun Belt Conference going 5-3 in conference and 8-5 overall last season.
The former Division II powerhouse hasn’t had the same level of success since it’s move to FBS, but would bring one huge asset to the new-look Pac-12 – targeted recruitment of the football-rich Texas high schools.
In men’s basketball, Texas State University’s team finished the 2024-2025 season with a 16-16 overall record, including a 9-9 record in the Sun Belt Conference. The team played in the NIT in 2022 and last appeared in the NCAA tournament in 1997.
According to ESPN and its sources, Texas State is the heavy favorite to receive an invitation to join the Pac-12. Right away, Texas State provides the Pac-12 with an eighth football-playing institution which the new conference needs for the 2026 season.
Also, it’s been reported that Texas State has an exit fee of just $5 million if it leaves the Sun Belt Conference for the 2026-27 season before July 1. After that, the fee rises to $10 million, which isn’t chump change but also not exactly insurmountable if things get tricky.
Seems like both the Pac-12 and Texas State could benefit from a partnership, one that hopefully can be completed this week before deadlines are missed and Aztecs fans are left once again wondering why we can’t ever have nice things for our athletic department.
One last tidbit is that the Pac-12’s new agreement doubles the per-school payout compared to the MWC. That financial gap could push top MWC schools to consider jumping if invited—even if buyout costs apply. Could this mean things change for UNLV? Or are they locked in keeping their hopes up that the Big 12 comes knocking on their casino doors?
CBS is also a broadcast partner for the Mountain West. With the new Pac-12 deal there is sure to be competition for prime broadcast slots—especially Saturdays in the fall. MWC football may be relegated to less favorable windows or pushed further onto CBS Sports Network or streaming platforms.
CBS may eventually prioritize Pac-12 coverage as it could bring higher-profile matchups, especially if expansion adds stronger football brands. It will be a fascinating situation to keep an eye on as the Mountain West media deal expires in 2026.
In the meantime, the league expects to announce further broadcast partners—rumored candidates include ESPN, the CW, TNT, and Warner Bros. Discovery—as Octagon (the rights advisor) finalizes other parts of the package
Stay tuned for more to come.
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