Departing schools formally resign from Mountain West, set to join Pac-12

The departing members of the Mountain West have officially submitted letters of resignation from the conference ahead of a deadline that would have dramatically increased their exit fees, sources close to the situation have confirmed.

San Diego State, Fresno State, Utah State, Colorado State and Boise State had declared their intention to leave for a reformulated Pac-12 back in September. The schools are scheduled to join Oregon State and Washington State in July 2026.

“We formally notified the Mountain West our intent to exit June 30, 2026,” Boise State athletic director Jeramiah Dickey said in a statement. “Grateful for our time in the MW and excited for our final season ahead. We are bar raisers…Opportunity requires being bold and never settling. New chapter…Always What’s Next!”

UNLV was also targeted by the Pac-12, but agreed to stay in the Mountain West in exchange for a huge payout from the league and a guarantee it could move to the Big 12 without penalty should the opportunity arise.

Language in the Mountain West bylaws required the departing schools to file formal paperwork and pay a $5,000 deposit before June 1 to avoid a ballooning exit fee.

That was done Saturday night, as expected.

The sides remain in mediation over how much money the Mountain West is owed as a result of the exodus.

Each of the five schools is supposed to pay three times the average per-member distribution from the previous year in order to depart the league, according to conference bylaws.

That would amount to about $18 million per school, a number that would have doubled had Sunday’s deadline to submit a formal resignation passed.

The Mountain West and Pac-12 also agreed to an escalating “poaching fee” structure as part of a scheduling agreement in football that helped keep the Pac-12 afloat. That additional $55 million brings the total figure owed to the Mountain West to around $145 million, according to the league.

Boise State, Colorado State and Utah State have sued the league over the exit fees, a case San Diego State and Fresno State couldn’t join because it would require them to sue a fellow California state institution in San Jose State.

The Pac-12 also filed suit over the poaching fees. Both cases are currently part of a mediation process that has gone on for almost two weeks.

Neither conference issued a statement Sunday on the schools submitting their letters of resignation. The Pac-12 did post a graphic on social media trumpeting the football success of its new membership now that its rebuilt league is one step closer to reality.

The Pac-12 still needs to add an eighth full member to be formally recognized as a conference by the NCAA. Gonzaga has agreed to join the league, but the school doesn’t have a football team.

Texas State is believed to be a leading expansion candidate for the Pac-12.

The departing members of the Mountain West now begin what is specified in league bylaws as an “interim period.” The resigning institutions are not relieved of any obligations or commitments to the conference through June 30, 2026.

All payments from the Mountain West to those schools during the interim period are specified to be withheld and applied to their exit fees.

Resigning members are also obligated to complete their conference schedules in all sports through June 30, 2026.

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.