Last week’s news of the Pac-12 adding Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State from the Mountain West was the first step in the re-establishment of the ‘Conference of Champions.’
Joining holdovers Oregon State and Washington State, the four newcomers bring a regional presence. The move into the Pac-12 should enhance their recruiting prowess.
But what will it do for the Beavers and Cougars? That could be more complicated.
Prior to the Pac-12 breaking apart with the departure of 10 schools, the Beavers and Cougars typically had the advantage of being considered Power Five programs.
It wasn’t unusual for them to steal away recruits who were committed to Mountain West or WAC schools. Prospects targeted by the Group of Five would spot an opportunity to move into an exclusive group and flip their decision.
“It was something that you knew would be an advantage,” a former Pac-12 assistant said. “You could go in at the last minute and have that in your back pocket. And you would use it.”
But when the Pac-12 deteriorated and Oregon State and Washington State became the last ones standing, the Mountain West schools narrowed the gap.
Now that the Broncos, Rams, Bulldogs and Aztecs are joining the Pac-12 starting in July 2026, the gap has essentially vanished.
The 247Sports recruiting rankings for the Mountain West are revealing. In both 2022 and 2023, the top-four recruiting classes were some combination of the schools joining the Pac-12. The Broncos were No. 1 both years while in 2024, each member of the quartet ranked among the top five. (UNLV was No. 4 in the recruiting cycle that ended last winter.)
San Diego State is on top in 2025, with Boise State third.
What’s more, each of the new four schools has thrived in the transfer portal. Last offseason, Boise State brought in former five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson while Fresno State landed in former five-star edge rusher Korey Foreman. (Both players began their careers at USC.)
Now that they are no longer bound to the Mountain West, the four schools should ramp up their recruiting efforts and challenge OSU and WSU for players who preferred the Pac-12.
“Oregon State and Washington State would always be able to say they were in the Pac-12 and that would change a kid’s mind who might have been committed to one of us,” a current Mountain West assistant said.
“But now, everything being equal, does Pullman or Corvallis have that advantage anymore over Boise or San Diego? I don’t think it will.”
Equal footing will unquestionable help the Broncos, who have always punched above their weight in recruiting.
Boise State finished higher than both Oregon State and Washington State in the 2024 recruiting rankings, even with an in-season coaching change costing them five-star wide receiver Gatlin Bair, an Idaho native who eventually signed with Oregon.
In fact, Boise State has finished higher than the Beavers and Cougars in three of the previous four recruiting cycles despite the chasm between the Group of Five and Power Five.
San Diego State and Fresno State should benefit from being located in California, where OSU and WSU have thrived over the decades. Playing in the same conference could lead to the Aztecs and Bulldogs retaining players who once fled to Corvallis or Pullman because of the Pac-12 brand.
But Colorado State figures to get the biggest bump. The Rams’ in-state rival, Colorado, doesn’t spend much time recruiting high school players from the Denver area, so Pac-12 stability should help CSU’s long-term efforts.
Then again, Oregon State and Washington State have always recruited California well, and that doesn’t figure to change much.
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Bringing Fresno State and San Diego State into the Pac-12 gives the Pacific Northwest schools yearly games in California, although they will be playing in the Central Valley and San Diego instead of the Bay Area and Los Angeles.
There has been plenty of speculation about the next wave of Pac-12 expansion. UNLV is mentioned frequently and would enhance the conference’s recruiting footprint in a talent hotbed.
(According to MaxPreps, the Las Vegas metropolitan area has the second-highest number of current NFL players of any city, largely due to the presence of powerhouse Bishop Gorman High School.)
Adding schools from the American Athletic Conference or the Sun Belt would have little impact on the competition for players on the West Coast.
Whether it’s Memphis or Tulane, UTSA or South Florida, those schools aren’t likely to recruit seriously on the far side of the Rockies.
But if the next schools to join the Pac-12 come from the Pacific Time Zone, it may make things more difficult for the Beavers and Cougars on the recruiting trail.
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