Fresno State officials are calling the university’s athletic move to the Pac-12 a “landmark” event that will “drive innovation and growth” in athletics and academics.

The Bulldogs, along with Boise State, Colorado State, and San Diego State, will bring the decimated Pac-12 up to six schools as it fights to regain its former stature as a Power 5 football conference.

If Fresno State had been invited five years ago to join the Pac-12, it would have turbo-boosted the Bulldogs athletic program. Today, however, the move presents opportunities, risks, and challenges. Even so, university leaders aren’t looking in the rearview mirror as they join Pac-12 holdovers Oregon State and Washington State starting with the 2026-27 academic year.

“Joining the Pac-12 Conference is a transformative moment for Fresno State,” said Fresno State Athletic Director Garrett Klassy in a news release Thursday morning. “This move not only elevates our national profile but also brings tremendous opportunities for our student-athletes to compete at the highest level.

“Together with our new conference peers, we will continue to grow, succeed, and lead in both athletics and academics. The Red Wave is ready for this historic journey.”

Fresno State’s $18 Million Exit Fee

Fresno State’s decision to bolt the Mountain West Conference comes at a price. The Associated Press reported that the Bulldogs, the three other programs exiting the Mountain West, and the Pac-12 will be on the hook for $110 million in exit fees and penalties.

Mountain West bylaws require departing schools to pay an exit fee of about $18 million with two years’ notice. ESPN reported that the Pac-12, which collapsed last summer, is expected to be able to help the schools “with the exit fees, in part, due to withheld media-rights distribution fees to departed members and other conference assets.”

In addition, Ross Dellenger at yahoo!sports.com reported, “In negotiations with potential new members, Pac-12 officials and third parties have presented a plan that features a new media rights agreement worth more than the MWC’s current or future television package, as well as the sponsorship potential of the Pac-12 brand. ”

For now, Fresno State is contemplating the opportunities that may open up through its membership in the Pac-12.

“Fresno State has always been a university of opportunity and grit, and joining the Pac-12 Conference reflects our dynamic vision for the future of our Valley,” said Fresno State President Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval. “This historic move both enhances our competitiveness on the field and further amplifies our academic prestige, advancing our mission of empowering students to succeed and lead.”

Pac-12 Needs at Least Two More Schools

Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould said the conference’s board of directors strategically evaluated each university’s application using five prioritized measures and established criteria: academics and athletics performance; media and brand evaluation; commitment to athletics success; geography and logistics; and culture and student-athlete welfare.

“We will continue to pursue bold, cutting-edge opportunities for growth and progress to best serve our member institutions and student-athletes,” Gould said.

The six members next will decide which schools to target for further expansion. The conference needs two more schools to reach the NCAA minimum. The conference is in the first year of a two-year NCAA grace period for meeting the eight-team requirement.

For an in-depth look at the ripple effect on college football created by the Pac-12’s latest move, read Dellenger’s analysis.