Texas State University is widely considered a top contender to join the restructured Pac-12 Conference, as league officials move closer to finalizing expansion plans and a new media rights deal.
The Bobcats, who boast a record enrollment of 40,678 students for the 2024-25 academic year, have been the subject of mounting speculation in recent weeks. Texas State President Kelly Damphousse has fueled rumors with a series of playful social media posts, including a recent retweet of two beavers swimming in the San Marcos River—a possible nod to the Oregon State Beavers, one of the Pac-12’s remaining original members.
The Pac-12, which will officially welcome Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, and Utah State alongside Oregon State and Washington State in July 2026, is seeking at least one more football-playing member to secure College Football Playoff certification. Texas State has emerged as a leading option, with sources describing the university as a “legitimate finalist” for an invitation.
Texas State’s athletic profile has risen sharply under football coach G.J. Kinne, who has led the program to consecutive eight-win seasons in the Sun Belt Conference and recently signed a seven-year, $2 million annual contract—one of the richest deals in the Group of Five. The Bobcats’ facilities, including the 28,000-seat UFCU Stadium and 10,411-seat Strahan Arena, further bolster their candidacy.
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While Pac-12 officials have not made a formal announcement, the conference’s expansion focus has “narrowed,” according to multiple reports, and Texas State is viewed as the front-runner. The league faces a July 1 deadline to add another football member in order to maintain its playoff status for the 2026-27 season. Texas State’s location between Austin and San Antonio offers the Pac-12 a strategic foothold in a major recruiting hotbed and television market. “Nothing beats Texas State right now just in their eyes—they just seem like the perfect one,” said one analyst, citing the university’s growth, athletic potential, and central Texas presence.
Although nothing is finalized, Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould recently indicated that expansion is imminent, pending the resolution of legal and financial matters with the Mountain West Conference. “Everything is negotiable,” she said, emphasizing the league’s desire for schools “on a positive trajectory and willing to invest.”
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