Pac-12 Conference to Meet on Potential Expansion Steps This Week: Report
The Pac-12 Conference is preparing for a meeting later this week to discuss further membership additions, according to John Canzano, an Oregon-based columnist who covers the conference.
The meeting is expected to not only including the Pac-12’s two current schools — Oregon State and Washington State — but the four schools who were invited to join the league on July 1, 2026.
All four are from the Mountain West Conference — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State.
Decisions may not get made this week, but previous reporting has the Pac-12 focusing on at least two American Athletic Conference teams as potential seventh and eighth members — Tulane and Memphis.
Last weekend, Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman reported during Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff that "sources tell me that the Pac-12 has some interest in Tulane and Memphis from the AAC."
Canzano also noted that the two schools are “top targets.”
The Pac-12 leadership doesn’t need to make decisions right away, but commissioner Teresa Gould is up against a deadline. The Pac-12 needs two more members to reach eight schools, which is the minimum needed to be considered a conference by the NCAA. The league must have eight or more members in place by the 2026-27 academic year.
Tulane just joined the American two years ago after a wave of realignment saw the league lose three members to the Big 12 Conference. The Green Wave is already reportedly positioning itself to be ready if an opportunity comes their way.
Late last week, Matt Brown at Extra Points, a newsletter devoted to the business of college sports, wrote that Tulane was one of three American schools he was aware of that had hired a consulting company or a third-party firm to help prepare them for potential realignment in the Pac-12 or other conferences.
If Tulane makes a move, they would be on the hook for a buyout to get out of the American and likely some kind of entrance fee to join the Pac-12.
Per The Athletic, the American’s television deal with ESPN pays members about $7 million per school. If the Green Wave were to leave the league, it would owe a $10 million buyout on 27 months’ notice. UConn negotiated an exit of $17 million to leave sooner when it returned to the Big East.
In what is either a response to the reporting or a separate strategy, the American is reportedly discussing membership with another Mountain West school, Air Force. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the Falcons were a “serious target” for the conference.
A move like that would bring the three service academies under the same umbrella, as Army West Point joined the AAC this year for football and Navy has been a member since 2015.
MATTHEW POSTINS