SAN DIEGO -- As San Diego State gets ready to move into the Pac-12 starting on July 1, 2026, joining league stalwarts Oregon State and Washington State, along with Boise State, Colorado State, Gonzaga (for men’s basketball only), Fresno State, Texas State and Utah State, optimism on The Mesa is at an all-time high.
After claiming 101 Mountain West championships entering their final year in the conference, which is the most in the league among sports the Aztecs compete in, SDSU will look to continue that success in the new Pac-12.
“I am thrilled to be one year out from beginning play in the Pac-12,” said San Diego State Director of Athletics John David Wicker. “This is a day Aztec Nation has been looking forward to for some time. Our coaches, staff and student-athletes are excited for the competitive opportunities that await us as we look to win Pac-12 championships!”
The addition of Texas State to the new Pac-12 on Monday makes it eight football-playing, all-sports members to meet NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) requirements and nine total full members across all other conference sports including men’s and women’s basketball.
A Look at the New Pac-12
Top Five League in Football
Over the last four seasons considering and comparing to future conference compositions (as of June 2025), beginning with the 2026 season, the new Pac-12 has had:
* Five of its eight football programs ranked among the College Football Playoff’s (CFP) Top 25, or 62.5% of its programs, the fourth-highest total percentage of programs ranked in the CFP Top 25 among all conferences in that time. SDSU finished 24th in the final CFP poll in 2021.
* Six of its eight football programs ranked among the Associated Press’ (AP) Top 25, or 75% of its programs, the fifth-highest total percentage of programs ranked in the AP Top 25 among all conferences in that time. San Diego State finished the 2021 season ranked 25th in the final AP Top 25 poll.
* The fourth-best collective winning percentage (.547) of all conferences over that span.
* A collective average Football Power Index (FPI) ranking of 77th among 136 total FBS teams (as of the 2026 season), the fifth-highest average FPI ranking among all leagues.
* Boise State earn the No. 3 overall seed in the first edition of the expanded 12-team CFP in 2024.
Top Five League in Men’s Basketball
Over the last five seasons considering and comparing to future conference compositions (as of June 2025), beginning with the 2026-27 season, the new Pac-12 has had:
* The fifth-best average NET ranking among all conferences.
* Seven of its nine men’s basketball programs made the Men’s NCAA Tournament since 2021, including two appearances in the National Championship game. San Diego State made the NCAA Championship game in 2023.