The Pac-12 has undergone significant change in recent years. With many teams leaving the conference last season, the Pac-12 is in a state of flux. As a result, the only two teams in the conference last season were Oregon State and Washington State. Fortunately, that is changing in 2026.
In preparation for the conference getting back up and running in 2026, the Pac-12 finalized a new media agreement with CBS Sports on June 23. The deal will run through the 2030-31 season. CBS will share the rights to the 13 football games of the conference’s only two members in 2025 with The CW and ESPN.
On Sunday, a new episode of “Athlon U: The College Football Podcast” was released. In the episode, analyst Steve Lassan spoke about the benefits of the deal to the Pac-12.
“I do think from an exposure standpoint, the Pac-12 is in a much better position of getting games on CBS,” Lassan said (Timestamp 8:35). “I would assume they’re going to have more partners be announced soon based upon some of the reporting. So it’s a good start. Obviously, it’s not the dollar value that we saw, like in the 20-30 million from the old Pac-12.
“They were never going to get that, but you’re getting good exposure. Your championship game is on network television, and you’re going to get a couple games on there as well. If you can sign up ESPN, CW, that’s a pretty strong set of TV partners. So I think all things considered, they’re off to a good start.
The Pac-12 Will Get 6 New Teams in 2026
After a 2024 season where there were only two teams in the Pac-12, the once prestigious conference is nearing a return to becoming a full-fledged FBS conference once again. 2025 will be the same as 2024, with only Oregon State and Washington State competing in the conference. However, things will change in 2026.
Oregon State and Washington State will be joined by Boise State, Utah State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Fresno State, and Texas State. That will bring the total number of teams in the conference to eight. The transfer will officially go through on July 1, 2026. Conferences need to have eight teams to maintain their status as a bowl subdivision conference.
With the new media rights deal in place, when each of these six new teams joins the Pac-12, they will start operating under the recent deal signed with CBS Sports. As a result, their games will be shared evenly between CBS, The CW, and ESPN.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball.
