Texas State will leave the Sun Belt Conference after the upcoming athletic year to join the re-constituted Pac-12, it was announced Monday.

The move will become official on July 1, 2026. The Pac-12 will have 10 football-playing schools beginning next year, with the Bobcats set to join holdover members Oregon State and Washington State, along with Mountain West transfers Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State (Gonzaga, which does not play football, will also join the conference in all other sports).

“We are extremely excited to welcome Texas State as a foundational member of the new Pac-12,” commissioner Teresa Gould said. “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.

“Under great leadership from (president) Kelly Damphousse, athletics director Don Coryell and excellent head coaches, Texas State has shown a commitment to competing and winning at the highest level as well as to providing student-athletes with a well-rounded college experience academically, athletically and socially. We look forward to seeing the Bobcats’ future trajectory continue to shine big and bright.”

Texas State had been a member of the Sun Belt since 2013 after moving up from the FCS level. The Bobcats will pay a $5 million exit fee, which would have gone up to $10 million on Tuesday.

“This is a historic moment for Texas State and Bobcat athletics,” Texas State president Kelly Damphousse said. “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’s departure will leave the Sun Belt with 13 members, including South Alabama and Troy. Immediate speculation to replace the Bobcats now turns to Louisiana Tech, a longtime member of Conference USA.

Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill released a lengthy statement in response to the news.

” I will continue to update our stakeholders on developments whenever possible as we work to ensure the sustained rise of the Sun Belt Conference — a collection of like-minded, regional rivals with winning football traditions, passionate fanbases and enduring commitments to excellence in all sports,“ the statement read in part. ”The Sun Belt Conference is rising, and our best days are ahead.”