LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — The Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences, along with five departing universities, announced Tuesday they have reached final agreements to settle all pending litigation stemming from a wave of athletic realignment.
In identical statements released by both conferences on Aug. 4, 2026, the leagues confirmed that final terms have been reached with Boise State University, Colorado State University, Utah State University, San Diego State University, and Fresno State.
“With these matters concluded, the conferences and institutions can move forward with certainty and focus on serving their student-athletes, campuses, fans, and communities,” the joint statement read.
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The resolution brings an end to a high-stakes, multi-million-dollar legal battle over conference exit fees and “poaching” penalties. The parties had previously reached an agreement in principle in May 2026, which put a temporary hold on federal and state lawsuits in California and Colorado, according to details reported by the Associated Press.
The legal standoff began in 2024 when Oregon State and Washington State—the only remaining members of the original Pac-12—signed a football scheduling agreement with the Mountain West. As part of that agreement, the Mountain West included a “poaching” clause requiring the Pac-12 to pay heavy penalties if it acquired any Mountain West schools, starting at $10 million for the first school and escalating by $500,000 for each additional departure, according to the Associated Press.
When Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, and eventually Utah State announced they were leaving to rebuild the Pac-12, the poaching penalties totaled approximately $55 million. The Pac-12 filed a federal lawsuit in California challenging the validity of those fees, reported the Associated Press.
Concurrently, Colorado State, Utah State, and Boise State filed separate litigation in Colorado contesting the Mountain West’s exit fees, which ranged from $19 million to $38 million per school, according to the AP report.
The reconstructed Pac-12, which also added Texas State and non-football member Gonzaga, is working to meet the eight-member minimum required to maintain its status as an active FBS conference, according to reports.
The Mountain West, which features member schools like UNLV in Las Vegas, has countered the departures by adding Hawaii, UTEP, and Northern Illinois for football to stabilize its own future.
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