Pac-2 raiding the Mountain West

The Pac-2 has raided [now official - see note at bottom] the Mountain West of its top four teams, rebuilding the conference into the Pac-[Number To Be Determined].

Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State are expected to announce they will join the conference as soon as Thursday morning, according to multiple reports. Yahoo first reported the news late Wednesday night.

The Pac-2 and Mountain West had been in discussions ever since the Pac-12 disintegrated last August. Those discussions resulted in a scheduling alliance for the 2024 season, with Oregon State and Washington State essentially playing Mountain West schedules while not becoming members of the MW. 

The plan was to build on that into something more formal, either OSU and WSU joining the MW, or the Pac-12 absorbing the entire MW.

Talks broke down recently, though, and the Pac-12 has decided to build the old fashioned way: by tearing down its closest neighbor.

Exit fees will cost the departing four MW members around $30 million apiece, but the Pac-12 believes the power of its brand will allow those schools to more than make their money back. They will join in time for the 2026 football season; the Pac-12 will also have to add two more members by that time in order to hit the minimum number of eight schools to remain an FBS conference. 

It's unclear at this time how the Mountain West will move forward, but the smart money is on pulling some Big Sky members upward to FBS. And on and on the carousel spins.

As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest. 

Update: The moves are official.