Texas State’s Exit Opens Realignment Potential For the Sun Belt Conference

Texas State University is set to make a major leap in collegiate athletics, having received a formal invitation to join the newly restructured Pac-12 Conference beginning with the 2026–27 academic year, according to multiple national reports. The move signals a significant step forward in visibility and competition for the Bobcats, who have been members of the Sun Belt Conference since 2013.

The university’s Board of Regents is expected to vote on the matter Monday. If approved, Texas State would become the eighth football-playing member of the revamped Pac-12, joining current holdovers Oregon State and Washington State, as well as incoming Mountain West programs Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and Utah State. Basketball powerhouse Gonzaga—though not a football participant—is also slated to join the league.

The Pac-12, once left clinging to survival after losing 10 of its members during the 2023 wave of conference realignment, has been actively rebuilding. The addition of Texas State would further stabilize the conference and restore some national prominence.