Utah State has accepted an invitation to join the Pac-12 and become the seventh member of the newly formatted conference, sources told ESPN on Monday night.
The move comes amid a whirlwind day of realignment that saw Pac-12 interest from a handful of AAC schools rebuffed, the Mountain West expected to retain the commitment of key member Air Force, and UNLV’s decision made uncertain after its commitment to the MWC earlier in the day was not formalized.
The offer to Utah State and expected acceptance in the near future means it would be the fifth Mountain West school to join Oregon State and Washington State in the rebuilding Pac-12. Utah State would join Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State, which have all announced they will join the league.
Utah State is a solid football program, winning a Mountain West championship in 2021. Utah State has made 11 bowl games since 2011 and has 16 bowl appearances in its history. It has been in the Mountain West since 2013.
Utah State is also a highly accomplished basketball school, having made 24 NCAA men’s tournament appearances in its history. That includes appearances in four of the past five tournaments (those four were held in six years, and the Aggies were 26-8 in 2020 when the pandemic canceled the tournament).
The offer to Utah State came amid a hectic day in which the Pac-12 tried to secure its future. Utah State emerged late in the day as a contender.
The Mountain West's departure leaves that league with seven schools, meaning it will need to make an addition to remain an official conference.
ESPN's Kyle Bonagura contributed to this report.
