Mile High Sports

Colorado State leaving the Mountain West to join the Pac-12

Rich Kurtzman

Colorado State flags hang over an RV during the Ag Day barbecue before the game against Northern Colorado on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 in Fort Collins, Colo.

Colorado State is joining the Pac-12, a move that elevates the Rams to a power conference.

For over a decade, CSU Rams fans have been hoping their school would make the jump from the Group of Five to a Power 5. That dream is one step closer to reality.

The Pac-12 looked to be a dying conference earlier this year, but it has been reborn with this news.

Colorado State joins Pac-12 with four former Mountain West schools

Colorado State is headed to the Pac-12 in 2026, which currently consists of six schools. The Rams are joined by the Boise State Broncos, San Diego State Aztecs, and University of California, Fresno Bulldogs.

The four former Mountain West schools join Washington State and Oregon State, the final two remaining Pac-12 teams.

Earlier this year, there was a mass exodus from the conference. Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and the University of Colorado left the Pac-12 for the Big 12. Cal and Stanford jettisoned for the ACC. And Oregon, USC, and UCLA all joined the BIG Ten.

That left Washington State and Oregon State all alone. Many thought the Pac-12 would go by the wayside, but they announced a rebuild early Thursday morning. After losing its Power 5 status with this year’s massive exit of teams, this would make it one step closer for the conference to regain that distinction.

“We are taking control of our future at CSU by forming an alliance of six peer institutions who will serve as the foundation for a new era of the Pac-12,” CSU president Amy Parsons said. “This move elevates CSU in a way which benefits all our students, bolsters our core mission, and strengthens our reputation for academic and research excellence. CSU is honored to be among the universities asked to help carry on the history and tradition of the Pac-12 as a highly competitive conference with some of the nation’s leading research institutions.”

As a Group of 5 member, Colorado State Football couldn’t compete for a National Championship. Only Power 5 Conference teams could do so. That’s why Rams fans clamored for joining the Big 12, BIG Ten, and even the Pac-12 for years.

But as conference realignments came fast and furious over the last decade, CSU was left out in the cold.

Now, the Rams have a new home with new hope for the future.

Massive move for CSU and the Pac-12

As of now, there are only six future members of the Pac-12. But, considering Colorado State and the other three former Mountain West schools don’t join until 2026, more new teams are likely on the way.

It’s plausible the Pac-12 will look to grow to at least 10, if not 12 or more teams. Then, they can make a case to regain Power 5 Conference superiority, instead of the status quo the current Power 4 remaining in place.

“For over a century, the Pac-12 Conference has been recognized as a leading brand in intercollegiate athletics,” 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.”

Boise State has long been the class of the Mountain West, and in recent years Fresno and SDSU have excelled on the football field and basketball court, respectively. Boise State won the MW Football Championship in 2023, while Fresno beat the Broncos in the 2022 championship game. And SDSU played in the 2021 championship, but lost to Utah State.

On the hardwood, SDSU was the first-ever Mountain West team to make it to an NCAA Championship Game in 2023. The Aztecs also made the NCAA Tournament the last four straight years. Meanwhile, Colorado State made March Madness in 2022 and 2024, possibly part of the reason they were asked to join the Pac-12.

Joining a Power 5 Conference–if the Pac-12 is deemed that in the near future–opens the door to more money, better television deals, and bigger matchups.

What about rivalries with Wyoming and Air Force?

Colorado State joining the Pac-12 was too big an opportunity to pass up, even if that puts into question their historic rivalries.

The Border War is the longest running rivalry game West of the Mississippi River, with CSU and Wyoming playing 115 times dating back to 1899. They’re two schools, teams, and fan bases who love to hate each other. The teams play annually for the Bronze Boot, established in 1968. Similarly, CSU and Air Force play one another for the Ram-Falcon Trophy every year.

What will happen to the rivalry games?

“These historic rivalries are important to our fans and institutions, and we very much want to ensure that they continue into the future,” CSU athletic director John Weber said. “It will be exciting to see new rivalries come out of this, too. The power of the Pac-12 lies in the fact the member institutions are situated in the West, have passionate fan bases and renowned sports histories.”

Colorado State will work to schedule Wyoming and Air Force–as well as CU–in their non-conference play. But, it seems unlikely they’ll be able to schedule all three every year, considering there are only four non-conference games per season.

Details have to be determined in the near future. That includes TV deals, future scheduling, and future new members of the conference.

Colorado State has been with the Mountain West since its inception in 1999. Before that, the Rams were part of the Western Athletic Conference from 1969-1999.

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