Bring on the competition: Boise State Broncos enter the PAC-12 Conference

Before the 2024 season, the once renowned PAC-12 conference disbanded, leaving Oregon State University and Washington State University alone. Teams ran off to conferences all over the country, some joining the Big Ten, others joining the Big 12, while some even went all the way to the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Despite being disbanded a year ago, the PAC-12 is now in full rebuild mode with new additions to the Power 5 conference.

Boise State joins three other schools in their transfer from the Mountain West Conference to the PAC-12 Conference for the 2026-2027 season. As of now, the rebranded conference will consist of Fresno State University, Colorado State University, San Diego State University, Washington State University, Oregon State University and Boise State University.

With the new conference realignment taking place two years from now, and with only six teams currently in the PAC-12, more schools are likely to be added to this conference. 

“We have a seat at that table.We’re one of six and ultimately as a group we will determine what the future looks like,” Athletic Director Jeremiah Dickey said in a press release. “A lot goes into that process and I can’t speak specifically on who and what that timeline is, but we know we need to add at least two and everyone has a different preference and that’s where we’ll come together as a group and figure out what that looks like moving forward”

The idea that more teams are going to be joining the PAC-12 between now and the start of the new conference realignment, the question that fans are asking now is: Which other schools will follow these teams into a new, power conference? 

Here are some possible schools that the Broncos could see in their conference in the future:

Utah State University

Utah State University would make a great addition to the PAC-12 conference as a familiar face for the ex Mountain West schools would continue to carry on tradition amongst the teams. Along with their four ex Mountain West counterparts, the Utah State Aggies have been in constant competition in all sports across the board. With nine Mountain West championships since 2019 in all sports, the Aggies have been a problem for their opponents in the Mountain West. Utah State will not only continue rivalries among the old Mountain West schools, but would also create more competition amongst the other schools in the PAC-12.

Tulane University

The Tulane Green Wave joined the American Athletic Conference (AAC) in 2014 and have won five conference championships since. The Green Wave is known to be one of the more feared football teams in the country. In the last two seasons, the team has a combined 23-5 record, also winning the Cotton Bowl in 2022. They ended the 2022 season ranked number #14 in the country, making the Green Wave a fantastic possible addition to the PAC-12 Conference.

University of Memphis

The second AAC team on this list, the Memphis Tigers are an interesting program to look into for conference realignment. For football, the Tigers have been to 10 straight bowl games, winning their previous three (2021 Hawaii Bowl canceled). In men’s basketball, the Tigers have one of the most storied programs, reaching the NCAA Tournament Championship game twice and appearing in the tournament 28 times. Memphis is bound to make a move to a Power 5 conference, which makes the PAC-12 a perfect fit for the Tigers.

University of South Florida (USF)

One of the most well rounded sports programs on this list, the USF Bulls have been a force in their years in the AAC. Despite being on the opposite side of the country, the USF Bulls are a program to keep an eye out on. In 2024, they won their first conference championship for Men’s Basketball in over 30 years, while also winning two conference championships in the past four years for women’s basketball. Though their football team is not nearly as good as the others on this list, or in the new PAC-12, their other sports programs can compete at a high level.

North Dakota State University (NDSU)

The Division I-AA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) powerhouse NDSU Bison are bound to make the move to the Division I-A Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. They have 22 current NFL players who were Alumni (T-20th in the country), a 172-19 record dating back to 2011, and a FCS record of nine national championships. The Bison football team has a 9-4 program record against FBS teams, with hopes that they will go to the next level. There is no question that they can compete with the best teams, is it time that they finally make the move to the next level?

Realistically, it is impossible to predict exactly what the PAC-12 will look like for the 2026 season. No matter what the conference will look like, Boise State will be going against more competitive schools than the years prior. 

“We’re bar raisers.We’re going to continue to raise this bar and I feel this decision impacts us for many years to come,” Dickey said in a press release. “It’s always a great day to be a Bronco, but today is special and it’s a day we’ll look back on and I’m excited for what’s next.”