Four schools — but not UNLV — leaving Mountain West Conference for Pac-12

UNLV isn’t one of the four Mountain West Conference schools leaving the league for the Pac-12 Conference.

Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego will join the new-look Pac-12 on July 1, 2026, the league announced this morning. The Pac-12 posted a photo on social media with the logos of its six members, showcasing how it raided the Mountain West's roster of universities.

"Good morning! It's a beautiful new day," the Pac-12 posted on X.

The Mountain West and Pac-12 had been in discussions about merging since the Pac-12 was gutted over the past two years — USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten; Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah to the Big 12; and Stanford and Cal to the ACC.

They instead formed a scheduling alliance for football in which the remaining Pac-12 members — Oregon State and Washington State — received games against Mountain West schools. UNLV on Oct. 19 plays at Oregon State.

“The Mountain West Conference is aware of the media reports regarding the potential departure of several of our members, and we will have more to say in the days ahead,” Mountain West Commissioner Gloria Nevarez said in a statement. “All members will be held to the conference bylaws and policies should they elect to depart.”

The Pac-12 would need to poach two additional schools to hit the eight-member institution benchmark needed for Football Bowl Subdivision status, according to the reports. That means UNLV — or UNR and the other Mountain West schools — could still be in play for the expansion.

Asked for comment, UNLV athletic director Erick Harper and UNLV President Keith Whitfield responded with a joint statement acknowledging the moves and pledging to steer the Rebels in the right direction.

“We know that four members of the Mountain West have announced their intentions to leave the conference in 2026,” they said. “Our focus remains on doing what is best for our institution, current and future student-athletes, alumni, donors and the greater Las Vegas community. We continue to evaluate all options.”

Those options could include staying in a reformed Mountain West, joining the new Pac-12, or exiting a dissolved MWC and finding a home in a new conference.

UNLV basketball coach Kevin Kruger believes the university will land in a good situation.

“Las Vegas is the best city in the world, and UNLV is going to land on our feet regardless of expansion or conference changes,” Kruger said. “We’ve got a lot of excitement right now around the athletic department and the university. If we stay in the Mountain West, where we’ve been for 25 years, that’s great. If we decide to expand or realign and find somewhere else, that’s great as well.”

In a news release, the Pac-12 said, "The collective six universities will collaboratively chart additional membership and other future conference considerations."

“For over a century, the Pac-12 Conference has been recognized as a leading brand in intercollegiate athletics,” Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould said in a statement. “We will continue to pursue bold cutting-edge opportunities for growth and progress, to best serve our member institutions and student-athletes. I am thankful to our board for their efforts to welcome Boise State University, Colorado State University, California State University, Fresno, and San Diego State University to the conference. An exciting new era for the Pac-12 Conference begins today.”

Teams leaving the Mountain West are contractually obligated to pay a $17 million exit fee, according to reports. There are also $10 million to $12 million in penalties as part of the scheduling alliance.

The Pac-12 will aid the departing Mountain West schools in their exit payment, according to ESPN, by using money it withheld from previous members for media distribution rights.

John David Wicker, the San Diego State athletic director, said in a statement that the university was ecstatic to be joining the Pac-12.

“While we are grateful to be a founding member of the Mountain West with 26 years of success in the conference, we are excited at what lies ahead with these new opportunities,” he said.