In recent years, the entire landscape of collegiate athletics has drastically reshaped due to intense conference realignment.
Schools are jumping conferences at an unprecedented rate, with new rumors appearing everyday detailing what new school might be on the move.
Among these rumors lies Texas State, a school ripe with potential. Texas State is not new to conference realignment, having competed in six different conferences since 1922. With the continually changing world of college sports, where will Texas State inevitably end up?
The Mountain West & Pac-12
The first early signs of realignment talks occurred on Sept. 28, 2024, when ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Texas State had received a verbal offer to join the Mountain West Conference. The Pac-12 also expressed interest but made no offer.
The Mountain West experienced a mass exodus of some of its biggest schools, including Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, Utah State and San Diego State leaving for the Pac-12 prior to inviting the Bobcats. Talks heated up between Texas State and the Mountain West when UNLV and Air Force committed to staying in the Mountain West.
The Mountain West and Pac-12 need eight schools to maintain FBS status. If there had been a move to the Mountain West, the Bobcats would’ve been its seventh full-time member. Texas State will have to pay the Sun Belt Conference an exit fee of $5 million if it intends to join another conference regardless.
One of the main reasons for the Bobcats potentially leaving the Sun Belt, a conference they have resided in since 2013, would simply be money from television deals. The Sun Belt’s payout under its current media deal is $2 million, compared to the significantly larger Mountain West’s $4 million and the Pac-12’s $8 million. However, the Pac-12’s media deal is ongoing and undetermined at this time.
It didn’t take long for Texas State to make a decision on their Mountain West invitation. Just a few days after initially receiving an offer, the Bobcats informed the Sun Belt Conference that they would be staying put, according to Director of Athletics Don Coryell.
Rumors of the Bobcats joining a new conference have persisted since then, especially one big rumor of a potential move to the Pac-12. Reporter Keff Ciardello confirmed on a recent episode of his podcast, ‘Win Now or Get Bent’ that based on what he’s heard behind the scenes, some are confident that Texas State is already unofficially a new member of the Pac-12.
If Texas State joins the Pac-12, it will be a full-time member and the conference’s eighth team, keeping its FBS status.
Staying in The Sun Belt
Joining a new conference does have its benefits, but is it the best idea for Texas State?
It may seem enticing to move conferences, especially in terms of building a brand. However, remaining in the Sun Belt Conference could arguably be one of the safer routes to take, not only for establishing success but also for traveling.
The Sun Belt Conference is on the rise among its other mid-major counterparts, having continually sent more schools to the NCAA Tournament in a variety of sports. It can be argued that Texas State should continue to build its athletics in the Sun Belt to establish and maintain that success for potential future opportunities to receive an invitation from bigger and more prestigious conferences.
The Bobcats are already the most outer-west member in the Sun Belt. If they did move to join a conference, especially one more geared to the pacific coast, they would not only continue to be isolated, but they would be even further away from their peers than they already currently are.
