Barely 15 years ago, Texas State was playing football in the Southland Conference. Now, the Bobcats have quickly become the belle of the ball in FBS realignment.
Texas State has emerged as the “heavy favorite” to be given a formal invitation to join the Pac-12, according to an ESPN repprt. Texas State is facing a July 1 deadline to notify the Sun Belt if it wishes to leave for the 2026 season or its buyout will double from $5 million to $10 million.
Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Utah State are set to join Oregon State and Washington State as full members. Basketball powerhouse Gonzaga is also joining as a non-football member. The league needs one more all-sport member to join in time for the 2026-27 school year to be eligible to exist as a full NCAA conference.
Texas State was a power at the Division II level before moving up to I-AA in the 1980s, winning a pair of national titles under legendary coach Jim Wacker. Dennis Franchione helped transition the Bobcats to the FBS level in 2012, and the program landed in a resurgent Sun Belt one year later. Until Kinne arrived in 2023, though, the program posted eight straight losing seasons and zero bowl appearances. In two years, Kinne has notched 16 wins and consecutive First Responder Bowl victories in the past two years.
So why is Texas State such a hot commodity in the realignment world? It has everything to do with being in the right place at the right time.
Everyone wants a footprint in Texas
The college football landscape has shifted dramatically over the past five years, and no state has felt those changes more than Texas. The Longhorns’ departure for the SEC shook the state. If Texas State ultimately leaves the Sun Belt for the Pac-12, it will…
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