Colorado State athletics announced Thursday morning that it, along with three other Mountain West Conference schools, will join the Pac-12 in 2026.

The move by CSU, Boise State, Fresno State and San Diego State is an effort to rebuild the Pac-12 after it lost all but two members — Oregon State and Washington State — to recent realign- ments.

“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 in a news release. “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.”

CSU will officially be a Pac-12 member on July 1, 2026. The school has been part of the Mountain West Conference since the league’s inception in 1999.

“These six institutions are committed to rebuilding the Pac-12 into an innovative, nimble, conference with sports programs which put student-athletes first, strive to compete at the highest level and deliver amazing fan experiences and compelling content,” CSU athletic director John Weber said. “This is a historic, transformative moment for CSU and a massive opportunity for our student-athletes. Joining the Pac-12 is an important step forward as we seek to deliver on an ambitious vision for the future of Ram Athletics.”

Parsons went on to say that CSU will work to preserve its traditional rivalries in all sports and that there are still plenty of elements that need to be worked out, such as media rights, conference membership and financial details related to separation from the Mountain West.The four new schools will have immediate voting privileges within the Pac-12 on issues related to membership and media rights. Mountain West members are contracted to pay a $17 million exit fee to leave the league.

“We have nothing but the utmost respect and appreciation for the Mountain West and its members,” Parsons said. “There will be conversations going forward about the Mountain West exit fees and Pac-12 support for our transition. We are confident the path forward will not impact our current university budget and will set CSU up for incredible opportunities to come.”

The Pac-12 was founded in 1915 and is the most storied conference in the western United States. The league took a blow when CU, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State moved to the Big 12; USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington to the Big Ten; and Stanford and Cal to the ACC.

The remaining Pac-12 programs hope to rebuild the brand with the four new schools. With a minimum of eight schools required to qualify as an NCAA conference, the Pac-12 will continue to look for new members.

“This moment has been a long time coming,” Weber said. “I know our students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and fans are hungry for this move and are going to love what comes next as CSU charts a transformational new course as a member of the Pac-12.”