Why Texas State Makes Sense For The Pac-12

By Simon Carroll

The Pac-12 announced on Monday that Texas State will join their conference on July 1st 2026, officially becoming the conference’s eighth football member ahead of it’s rebirth. Following the demise of the West-Coast’s pre-eminent affiliation last Summer, only Oregon State and Washington State remained as holdover members. Since then, the brand has worked vigorously to survive, recruiting five schools from the Mountain West (Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Utah State). Another school, Gonzaga, has also joined the Pac-12 but does not field a football team, meaning the conference required one more member to join to satisfy the eight-program requirement for College Football.

We now know that the eighth program is Texas State, a Sun Belt Team that has only been an FBS school since 2013. For those with fond memories of national championships for USC, Cal, Washington and the like, the addition of a fairly small school that has had just three winning seasons since they stepped up to this level may seem underwhelming. Dig beneath the surface however, and there’s an number of reasons why this is an astute move by the Pac-12:

Planting A Flag In Texas

When it comes to football, no state takes it as seriously as Texas does. One of the most fertile recruiting grounds in the nation, the Lone Star State produces hundreds of high-level recruits each year – unsurprising considering the history and resources that are poured into Friday Night football in the deep south. Having programs in these hotbeds has become obvious wins for conferences, and Texas is the hottest of them all. As a result, the latest round of conference realignment saw both the SEC and Big 12 add another school there (Texas, Houston), the ACC add the state to it’s portfolio (SMU), and even Power-4 conferences making sure they were represented (Sam Houston State, Conference-USA). Even the depleted Mountain West is in on the act, recruiting UTEP to defect to help replace the schools lost to the Pac-12.

As it stands, come the start of the 2026 season only two conferences won’t have a Texas team amongst their members. Those are the Big Ten and the MAC, who have both historically been the home of MidWest programs and have only recently started looking further afield. Considering the Big Ten has gone as far as Southern California to grow their family, it would not surprise anyone if they had one eye on Texas for their next move.

In this context, the size of the school is largely irrelevant – having a team in Texas is of value to the Pac-12 from a reputation perspective alone.

Money

Much will be made of the financial incentive for Texas State to make the move to the Pac-12. It’s true; the conference will not be the giant it once was, and some would question whether it can realistically be considered a Power Conference considering the level of their new members. But whatever TV deal the Pac-12 manages to strike, it will likely dwarf that of the Sun Belt. West Coast football has it’s drawbacks for the networks, with the Pacific time slots more difficult to get good viewing numbers compared to their Atlantic counterparts. Regardless, the brand alone has more pulling power than the Bobcats’ previous conference.

For the Pac-12, there are monetary benefits too. Being able to lure Texas State to their ranks before July 1st meant the buyout for the school to leave the Sun Belt was $5m. Today, that figure would have doubled. Whilst the Bobcats will likely foot the bill initially, it will certainly have been factored into negotiations.

Now, back to the TV deal; having a Texas school in their repertoire makes the Pac-12 immediately more appealing to the likes of ESPN. The conference now spans seven states, giving it a much bigger audience. Adding Texas brings another 31 million people into the market, as well as another two timezones. That increases the flexibility for kickoff times, further maximising viewing figures. All these will help the Pac-12 when it comes to negotiations for their TV deal – Texas State literally pays for itself.

A Program On The Rise

When thinking of major football cities in Texas, San Marcos may not be the first one that springs to mind. But under head coach GJ Kinne, Texas State are making themselves heard in a saturated market. The former Texas QB made a name for himself at Incarnate Word, winning 12 games in 2022. That in-state success was enough for the Bobcats to take the plunge on a coach with just one year’s experience. But the gamble paid off, with Kinne delivering back-to-back eight win seasons. Considering the lack of success at this program prior to his arrival, Kinne’s immediate impact is impressive.

Kinne put himself firmly on the map in his first game in charge, shocking Baylor 42-31 in Waco. What was viewed by many as a tune-up for the Bears turned out to be a platform for success for Texas State, and with two bowl wins in two seasons, the school hasn’t looked back.

A small city of just 70,000 people, San Marcos may not be the metroplex that five-star recruits dream of. But it has a reputation as a party town, and now has a football program at the heart of it that is on the rise. A move to the Pac-12 only further reinforces the feeling that the future is bright; Texas State is legit.

Quotes - And Translations

Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould: “We are extremely excited to welcome Texas State as a foundational member of the new Pac-12. It is a new day in college sports and the most opportune time to launch a new league that is positioned to succeed in today’s landscape with student-athletes in mind.”

Translation: “We needed an eight football school, Texas is huge, and Texas State was the best program we could likely lure in. We’re excited about the market, money, and exposure the Bobcats bring to the table.”

Texas State President Kelly Damphouse: “This is a historic moment for Texas State and Bobcat athletics. Joining the Pac-12 is more than an athletic move – it is a declaration of our rising national profile, our commitment to excellence and our readiness to compete and collaborate with some of the most respected institutions in the country.”

Translation: “Texas State is growing quicker than the Sun Belt is. The Pac-12 offers a greater opportunity for exposure, financial resources, and ultimately success. Playing Power-5 football against Colorado State doesn’t scare us, and we think there’s an easier pathway to the College Football Playoffs.”

Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill: “With Texas State’s recent announcement of its planned departure from the Sun Belt Conference, I want to personally take a moment to thank the Bobcat staff for their collaboration and leadership through a transformative era in college athletics from the COVID-19 pandemic to name, image and likeness to the most recent round of realignment. Since expanding to 14 football-playing members, the Sun Belt Conference has experienced the best three-year stretch in the conference’s nearly 50-year history.”

“Over the span, the league has led all non-autonomy conferences in football postseason representation for three-straight years—including leading the nation with 12 bowl teams in 2023; set a conference record with a non-autonomy leading 37 NCAA postseason and bowl berths during the 2023-24 season—when it was a multi-bid league in women’s soccer, men’s soccer, volleyball, football, softball and baseball; and established itself as a power player as 1-of-5 conferences with multiple appearances in NCAA Division I national championship finals in 2024-25.”

Translation: “Thanks for the $5m Texas State. Your departure is nothing more than a flesh wound, and the Sun Belt likely won’t be viewed any differently due to you leaving. We’re still relevant – honest.”

Mock Draft

SIMON CARROLL

LEAD WRITER/HEAD OF CONTENT

PREVIOUSLY THE FOUNDER OF NFL DRAFT UK, SIMON HAS BEEN COVERING COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND THE NFL DRAFT SINCE 2009. BASED IN MANCHESTER, SIMON IS ALSO CO-CREATOR & WEEKLY GUEST OF THE COLLAPSING POCKET PODCAST, AND COVERS THE JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS FOR SB NATION.

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