Sources – Boise State is one of four schools set to join the Pac-12

Four schools are expected to announce Thursday that they will leave the Mountain West Conference and join the Pac-12, sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday.

The Pac-12 Board of Directors has unanimously approved applications from Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Fresno State for membership beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, sources said.

They would join Oregon State and Washington State, the two remaining schools in the conference after the league folds in the summer of 2023.

MWC Commissioner Gloria Nevarez released a statement late Wednesday regarding reports that the four schools would leave the conference.

“The Mountain West Conference is aware of media reports regarding the potential withdrawal of several of our members and we will have more to say in the coming days,” Nevarez said. “All members must abide by the Conference's bylaws and policies should they choose to withdraw. The appointment requirements will apply to the Pac-12 should it accept members from the Mountain West. Our board is meeting to determine our next steps. The Mountain West has a proud 25-year history and will continue to thrive in the years to come.”

Mountain West charter requires departing schools to pay an exit fee of about $18 million with two years' notice. That's the amount the four schools intend to pay, one source said. (With one year's notice, that amount would rise to $36 million.)

The Pac-12 is expected to be able to help schools with exit fees, in part because of fees retained for distributing media rights to departing members and other conference assets. The conference would also have to pay $43 million in poaching fees as stipulated in the scheduling agreement between the conferences this year, which resulted in Oregon State and Washington State playing six Mountain West opponents.

Once those four new additions are confirmed, the Pac-12 would need to add two more schools to meet the NCAA's minimum requirements. The conference is in the first of a two-year grace period granted by the NCAA bylaws to stay below the minimum in the event of departures.

The news that the four schools will join the Pac-12 was first reported by Yahoo Sports.