Texas State has officially joined the Pac-12 and will become the conference’s eighth football member ahead of the 2026–27 season, meeting the FBS membership requirement.
The Bobcats join a reimagined Pac-12 alongside fellow newcomers Fresno State, San Diego State, Colorado State, Utah State, Boise State, and Gonzaga (as a non-football member), rounding out the new lineup with returning members Washington State and Oregon State.
Their move comes at an ideal time, with Texas State having captured back-to-back Vic Bubas Cups—awarded to the top athletic department in the Sun Belt Conference—and three titles in the last four seasons. In their most recent Cup title, they claimed five Sun Belt championships: the softball regular season, volleyball tournament, women’s indoor track and field, women’s outdoor track and field, and men’s outdoor track and field.
The Bobcats football team has contributed to the school’s championship success as well, enjoying notable achievements over the past two seasons—securing back-to-back bowl victories and finishing both the 2023 and 2024 campaigns with identical 8–5 records. Those accomplishments marked their first back-to-back eight-win seasons since joining the FBS level in 2012.
Building on their recent success, this move is set to elevate Texas State’s national profile, as the Pac-12 and CBS Sports have extended their partnership through the 2030–31 calendar year—offering ample opportunities for televised games and media coverage. Through the Pac-12’s media deal, it will also provide them with exponentially more revenue, which long-term will help grow their facilities and entire athletic department as a whole. Additionally, the Bobcats will face higher-quality opponents—an upgrade that, along with several other mentioned factors, is expected to boost recruiting efforts.
Overall, it’s a strong move for Texas State, in which they will look to build on their momentum with a chance to make a splash in their new conference.