San Diego State University has accepted an invitation to join the Pac-12 Conference, as announced on Thursday morning. The Aztecs are set to officially become members of the Pac-12 on July 1, 2026.
SDSU will join established institutions like Oregon State and Washington State, as well as newcomers Boise State, Colorado State, and Fresno State.
“We are thrilled to be joining the Pac-12 Conference,” said San Diego State’s Director of Athletics, John David Wicker. “While we appreciate our founding membership in the Mountain West, with 26 years of achievements, we are eager about the new opportunities that await us. We aim to continue competing for conference championships and nurturing leaders within our community.”
SDSU President Adela de la Torre remarked, “The transition to the Pac-12 marks a transformative period for our university. Joining this conference opens doors to exciting partnerships and financial growth, ultimately benefiting our student-athletes and the broader university community. This is the beginning of an exciting journey—one that will help us attract top talent, excel at the national level, and create further opportunities for One SDSU and the San Diego area.”
Oregon State and Washington State are currently in a two-year grace period as members of the Pac-12 and will continue through the 2025-26 academic year before the addition of the new members. The six schools will work together to discuss further membership and future conference considerations.
“The Pac-12 Conference has been a leading name in intercollegiate athletics for over a century,” stated Commissioner Teresa Gould. “We will actively pursue innovative growth opportunities that best serve our member institutions and student-athletes. I appreciate our board’s efforts in welcoming Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State into the conference. Today marks the start of an exciting new era for the Pac-12.”
The Aztecs hold a Mountain West record with 96 league titles, excelling in sports they compete in. Over the past three years, they have secured the most championships. In the current 2023-24 season, SDSU claimed six Mountain West championships, notably in women’s soccer, swimming and diving, men’s golf, women’s tennis, and softball. The university also celebrated four conference players of the year and three conference coaches of the year.
On the national front, SDSU boasts a combined .727 winning percentage in football and men’s basketball since fall 2010, ranking first in the nation, just ahead of teams like Ohio State, Oregon, Duke, and Alabama. The Aztecs have also seen success in professional competitions, with former golfer Xander Schauffele winning two major championships in 2024 and ex-track star Shanieka Ricketts earning a silver medal in the triple jump at the Paris Olympics.
In academics, 366 San Diego State student-athletes were acknowledged as scholar-athletes for attaining a semester GPA of 3.20 or higher or maintaining a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Moreover, 38 student-athletes earned the Malik Award for achieving a perfect 4.0 GPA.