Pac-12 makes interesting move on future TV rights deal

Boise State's future home looks to secure television deal

Boise State will join the Pac-12 in 2026. / Brian Losness-Imagn Images

Boise State won’t join the Pac-12 Conference until July 1, 2026, but the Broncos’ future home is in the beginning stages of putting together its television deal. 

Tuesday morning, the Pac-12 officially announced that Octagon will be the conference’s media rights strategy advisor. 

According to its website, Octagon is a “leading global agency in sports, entertainment and culture. A group of creative thinkers and energetic doers harnessing that playmaker spirit to generate fame that endures.”

Octagon has also advised the ACC, Big Ten, West Coast Conference, Atlantic 10 and Conference USA in media negotiations. 

“As we continue our process of building upon the Pac-12’s 100-year legacy, we are thrilled to partner with a true leader in the sports media rights space in Octagon,” Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould said in the release. “With eight amazing athletics programs and institutions, each with a rich and recent history of excellence, we look forward to formalizing strategic media rights partnerships that best showcase the amazing accomplishments of Pac-12 student-athletes as we usher in a new era.”

Octagon will work directly with Gould to find the best media partners for the new-look conference. 

The Pac-12 has eight members signed up for the 2026-27 school year: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Oregon State, San Diego State, Utah State and Washington State. The conference will need to add at least one more football program before 2026 to reach the NCAA’s eight-team minimum to qualify as an FBS conference. Gonzaga does not have a football program. 

“The Pac-12 has a proud history of excellence and an exciting future ahead with premier brands and passionate fanbases set to join the league,” Octagon Executive Vice President Daniel Cohen said in the release. “Octagon is thrilled to work with Commissioner Gould and the Pac-12 to provide unique insights and analysis and help the conference continue its long-standing tradition as one of the key pillars in college sports as it ushers in a new era. Building off our considerable experience negotiating seven recent media rights deals across the NCAA ecosystem, our team will leverage not just our relationships but our firm understanding of the shifting college landscape to showcase the impactful brands of the Pac-12 in a way that maximizes value and enhances fan engagement.”

The future of the Pac-12 was in doubt when the conference lost 10 of its 12 members to the ACC, Big Ten and Big 12. The remaining members Oregon State and Washington State won a legal battle against the departing schools and retained the conference’s assets. 

Instead of joining a different conference, Oregon State and Washington State chose to rebuild the Pac-12. Mountain West schools Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State accepted invitations from the Pac-12 in September. West Coast Conference power Gonzaga came aboard Oct. 1.

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