"Desperate times call for desperate measures": CFB fans divided over Pac-12 inviting Texas State to join league in 2026

Michael Adams of the Austin Sports Journal reported on Thursday that the Pac-12 has extended a formal invitation to Texas State to join the conference. It was reported earlier this week that the Bobcats’ officials have notified the Sun Belt Conference about the expectation of the offer.

Adams shared that the university’s Board of Regents is scheduled to meet on Monday morning to vote on the acceptance of the Pac-12’s invitation. This will see the Bobcats end their association with the Sun Belt Conference in 2026 after arriving in 2013.

The Bobcats will become the ninth member of the new-look Pac-12, as well as the eighth football-playing member. With Texas State’s impending addition, the Pac-12 will meet the NCAA’s eight-team minimum for FBS conference status in the 2026-27 school year.

The invitation comes at a favorable time for the school as it will be due to pay the Sun Belt a $5 million exit fee. Should the process have waited until July 1, the exit fee would've risen to $10 million.

The development within the Pac-12 has generated a lot of reactions from college football fans. While a section of the fans applaud the invitation of the Bobcats, others are not impressed with the situation of the conference.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

More reactions from fans:

Others weren't impressed:

The Pac-12 is bound to gain Texas State more money and visibility

The transition to the Pac-12 will be of great help to the future of Texas State athletics. It's bound to see the school move to a better place financially and in terms of visibility. Although ESPN's Pete Thamel reports that the Pac-12 secured a TV deal that was less than what was pitched to new members.

“The finances from a new TV deal are expected to be below what the league’s consultants pitched schools initially,” Thamel reported. “In the wake of the initial flurry of schools going to the league, ESPN reported schools were shown projected revenue from a TV deal north of $10 million per school, but conditions have changed.”

The Bobcats transition to the century-old Pac-12 to help it ascertain its survival after the conference witnessed an implosion that saw 10 members depart in 2023.

Edited by Chaitanya Prakash