The Pac-12 has undergone a huge shuffle as the conference-realignment era of college athletics shakes up countless programs around the country.

Oregon State and Washington State were the only two schools to remain loyal to the Pac-12 after UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington jumped into the Big 10; Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah fled for the Big 12; and Stanford and California joined the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The remaining schools and conference were left in a rebuild that resulted in the 2025 college football campaign acting as a pseudo-independent season and schedule. Other sports at OSU and WSU have joined the West Coast Conference, while some have played independent-style schedules, including Oregon State baseball in the springs of 204 and 2025.

But now the Pac-12 is back up onto its feet and has garnered a list of schools ready and eager to join the new-look conference.

Who Are Those Schools?

Four athletic programs from the Mountain West Conference were scooped up by the Pac-12 in an agreement that took place in September 2024. An additional school reached an agreement shortly after to bump the number to five.

Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State are all signed to begin Pac-12 play on July 1, 2026. The five schools will compete under the Pac-12 umbrella in all NCAA Division I sports.

Boise State is fresh off a College Football Playoff appearance a season ago while being the nation’s Cinderella story and featuring a Heisman Trophy finalist in running back Ashton Jeanty, who is now in the NFL.

These schools bring a competitive balance across all sports that is welcomed by Oregon State and Washington State.

The Pac-12 is currently amidst a federal antitrust lawsuit it filed against the Mountain West over $55 million in “poaching fees,” ESPN reported, highlighting the schedule agreement and exit fees for the schools transitioning into the Pac-12.

Pac-12 Adds Basketball, Baseball Powers

Starting July 1, 2026, Gonzaga University will be a featured team in the Pac-12 lineup.

The Bulldogs, from Spokane, Washington, reached an agreement in October 2024 for all university-sponsored sports.

Gonzaga doesn’t have a football program but makes up for it in prestige and outreach on the basketball court. The men’s basketball program at Gonzaga has reached the NCAA postseason every year since 1999. The Bulldogs have made it to the national championship game twice and to the Sweet Sixteen 14 times.

In August of this year, Dallas Baptist University announced that it signed an agreement to be a single-sport affiliate of the Pac-12.

DBU baseball will compete in the conference beginning in 2027, bringing a standard and high-level talent that should boost the conference’s strength in the sport.

Dallas Baptist only began competing in Division I baseball in 2004 but has quickly stamped its name in the upper echelon in college baseball. The Patriots have made the postseason 14 times, including each season since 2014. DBU is a powerhouse baseball program on the rise and a welcome addition to the conference.

Texas State Rounds Out Additions

Texas State and the Pac-12 announced in June of this year that the Bobcats will join the conference beginning in the 2026-27 school year.

The addition of Texas State means the conference is up to nine full-time members committed and one baseball-only commitment. Texas State was unanimously voted in by the already-pledged schools and Pac-12 committee after submitting an application to the conference.

Situated in San Marcos, between Austin and San Antonio, Texas State provides the opportunity for recruiting and viewership in the heart of Texas.

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Landon Bartlett covers high school sports and Oregon State for the Statesman Journal. He can be reached at lbartlett@salem.gannett.com or on X or Instagram @bartlelo.

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: What will the Pac-12 look like in 2026 with a full complement of teams?

Reporting by Landon Bartlett, Salem Statesman Journal / Salem Statesman Journal

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