Oregon State helmets lined up on the Reser Stadium turf prior to the Oregon State Spring football scrimmage at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon on April 20, 2024. CMG photo: John Lariviere

Texas State University was officially introduced as the Pac-12’s ninth member institution, the conference and its member schools announced Monday.

The Bobcats’ admission to the conference was unanimously voted in favor of by the Pac-12’s board of directors.

Located in San Marcos, Texas, and boasting an enrollment of over 40,000, Texas State will depart the Sun Belt Conference to become full members of the new-look Pac-12. It — along with Fresno State, Colorado State, Utah State, San Diego State, Boise State and Gonzaga — will join current members Oregon State and Washington State under the conference’s banner beginning July 1, 2026.

“We are extremely excited to welcome Texas State as a foundational member of the new Pac-12,” Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould was quoted as saying in a press release. “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… We look forward to seeing the Bobcats’ future trajectory continue to shine big and bright.”

Texas State’s addition to the conference was first reported on early last week, when ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the university had called a board of regents meeting for formal approval to accept the Pac-12’s membership offer.

“This is a historic moment for (Texas State) and Bobcat Athletics,” Kelly Damphouse, the university’s president, was quoted as saying in the press release. “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. Our acceptance into the Pac-12 affirms the strength of our academic vision, our commitment to providing access to a (Texas State) degree, the momentum of our athletic programs, and the ambition that defines this institution.”

Texas State joins the Pac-12 as a full member and patches glaring holes in the conference’s member programs.

The Bobcats will be the eighth football-playing member school, with Gonzaga not sponsoring a program, giving the Pac-12 its FBS-required eight-team conference. Texas State will also be the ninth member for both men’s and women’s basketball, as well as the sixth for baseball and seventh for softball.

Oregon State and Washington State will spend the 2025-26 athletic calendar as the Pac-12’s two members, the final year of the NCAA’s conference grace period. Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State, Utah State and Boise State will be departing the Mountain West; while Gonzaga will exit the West Coast Conference and Texas State will depart the Sun Belt to officially launch the revamped Pac-12 on July 1, 2026.