• Utah State among those facing exit fees

In the world of college sports realignment, the carousel continues to turn as the five schools who made their intentions known to leave the Mountain West Conference (MWC) and join two leftover schools from the PAC-12, submitted their official notice just before the deadline this past weekend. 

Utah State, Boise State, colorado state, Fresno State and San Diego State delivered their formal written notice on May 31. The due date to avoid more penalties was the end of day on June 1. 

According to MWC bylaws, those five schools will owe an exit fee that is equal to three times the annual conference distribution amount. That number is expected to be between $15-18 million each. A lawsuit was filed objecting to those fees and officials from both sides have been in mediation for the past week. With the written intention to leave now recorded, those results may be released soon. 

Also according to conference bylaws, those five schools are now in what is determined as an interim period which will immediately affect their rights moving forward. The schools will no longer have a representative on the MWC Board of Directors and those remaining on the board are “fully empowered” to act upon the affairs of the conference.

Immediately affecting those schools will also be payments that will be withheld and then applied to the exit fees. The effective date of the transition to the Pac-12 would be June 30, 2026. The listed schools would not be receiving  revenue for the upcoming 2025-26 season which starts on July 1. 

Also under the mediation is the “poaching” penalties which could be up to $55 million for Washington State and Oregon State, who inherited the conference war chest with the departure of all of the other members. The fees and the dispute stem from the MWC agreeing to games to help the two schools fill out their schedules this past season. 

In total, up to $130 million in fees from schools which will comprise the Pac-12 starting in the fall of 2026 could be awarded to the remaining schools of the MWC. Schools comprising the conference starting in 2026 would be Air Force, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, San Jose State, UNLV, UTEP and Wyoming with Northern Illinois joining as a football-only member. Additionally, UC Davis and Grand Canyon would join as non-football members. 

The Pac-12 still needs to add a full-time eighth member in order to satisfy NCAA conference requirements. Gonzaga will also be part of the league as a non-football member.