Lead
The Pac-12 officially released its 2026 football schedule on Feb. 12, 2026, with conference play opening Saturday, Oct. 3 and all eight teams in action. The league expands from two members in recent seasons to eight after adding Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State and Texas State. Each team will play a seven-game round-robin conference slate, with a final-week flex window on Saturday, Nov. 28 designated to improve College Football Playoff (CFP) positioning; those flex matchups will be treated as non-conference games and will not affect league standings. The Pac-12 Championship Game is set for Friday, Dec. 4 at the No. 1 seed’s home stadium and will air on CBS with streaming via Paramount+.
Key takeaways
- Conference play begins Oct. 3, 2026, with all eight Pac-12 teams scheduled to play that weekend.
- Pac-12 membership expands to eight schools: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State and Texas State joining Oregon State and Washington State.
- Each team will play a seven-game round-robin conference schedule; final-week games on Nov. 28 are flexed and designated as non-conference for standings.
- Projected Week 13 (Nov. 28) matchups — subject to confirmation no later than six days prior — include Boise State at Utah State and Oregon State at Washington State.
- Home-team assignments in any flex format ensure a minimum of six home games and at least four home games against Pac-12 opponents for every member.
- Top non-conference matchups include Boise State at Oregon, Fresno State at USC and Texas State at Texas among others listed in the released composite schedule.
- The Pac-12 Championship Game will be Friday, Dec. 4, hosted by the No. 1 seed and televised by CBS/Paramount+.
Background
The Pac-12’s modern reconstitution follows a turbulent realignment era that reduced the league to two members, Oregon State and Washington State, for the prior two seasons. Conference leadership pursued a return to broader membership in order to restore a viable conference schedule, national relevance and media opportunities. The six incoming programs come from the Mountain West (Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State) and the Sun Belt (Texas State), reflecting continued flux in the college football landscape.
Historically the Pac-12 operated as a 12-team league with divisional formats and a conference championship on neutral ground; the new eight-team model abandons divisions for a single round-robin conference schedule, ensuring every member meets each other once. That decision is directly tied to competitive equity and clarity for CFP evaluators, who have signaled the importance of high-quality, head-to-head matchups when assessing at-large candidates. Conference officials also negotiated broadcast windows with national partners to guarantee exposure across CBS, USA Network and The CW.
Main event
On Feb. 12, 2026, the Pac-12 released a full composite schedule and team-by-team calendars. The regular season begins with a wave of non-conference games in September; the first conference weekend is Oct. 3, when Fresno State at Washington State, Oregon State at Colorado State, Texas State at San Diego State and Utah State at Boise State are slated. The schedule maintains a seven-game intra-conference round robin for each team, producing consistent head-to-head comparisons across the league.
The league built a flexible Week 13 on Saturday, Nov. 28 to allow last-minute match adjustments in the league’s best interest, explicitly citing potential CFP considerations. Projected flex matchups for Nov. 28 include Boise State at Utah State, Texas State at Colorado State, San Diego State at Fresno State, and Oregon State at Washington State; these matchups are subject to confirmation no later than six days beforehand. The Pac-12 has reserved the right to shift pairings to maximize CFP opportunities while protecting scheduling fairness.
In any flex scenario the league designated Colorado State, Fresno State, Utah State and Washington State as home teams, and the format guarantees each program at least six home games and at least four home games versus Pac-12 opponents. Pac-12 officials also included a limit on repeat visits to the same venue during the regular season when assessing any flex change. The season culminates with the conference title game on Friday, Dec. 4, where the No. 1 seed hosts the No. 2 seed.
Analysis & implications
Restoring eight teams gives the Pac-12 a workable schedule and immediate national relevance. A single round-robin among eight teams creates unambiguous standings and head-to-head checks that CFP committee members typically value. The flex week is a strategic concession: by treating last-week games as non-conference, the league can arrange high-profile matchups that might bolster a team’s strength-of-schedule metrics without disturbing league tiebreakers or standings.
Television placement on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ provides a national platform that matters for recruiting, sponsor revenue and program exposure. The inclusion of USA Network and The CW in the league’s announced national coverage also spreads broadcast opportunities across multiple windows. That diversified media footprint could translate to improved long-term rights revenue if the Pac-12 sustains competitive performance and viewership.
Operationally, the addition of five Mountain West teams and one Sun Belt team raises travel, scheduling and fiscal considerations for member schools. Some programs face longer travel itineraries and new regional rivalries; the league’s commitment to a minimum of six home games seeks to soften revenue shocks. Athletic departments will need to align budgets, logistics and academic accommodations around the altered travel map.
Comparison & data
| Aspect | Pre-2026 | 2026 Format |
|---|---|---|
| Active Pac-12 members (recent seasons) | 2 (Oregon State, Washington State) | 8 (adds Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State, Texas State) |
| Conference games per team | Varied / limited | 7-game round-robin |
| Week 13 approach | Traditional conference weekend | Flex week (non-conference for standings) |
| Championship | Neutral site historically | No. 1 seed hosts on Fri., Dec. 4, 2026 (CBS/Paramount+) |
The table highlights the shift from a two-team residual membership to an eight-team conference with explicit mechanisms designed to improve CFP prospects. The fixed seven-game round robin produces 28 conference games each weekend over the season’s conference weeks, simplifying standings and tiebreak scenarios compared with unbalanced schedules.
Reactions & quotes
Pac-12 officials framed the release as a fresh start aimed at national competitiveness and stable scheduling.
“We can’t wait to kick off the new era of Pac-12 football. Today’s schedule release is a major milestone on our path to launch,”
Teresa Gould, Pac-12 Commissioner (official statement)
Media notice and social reaction were swift after the composite schedule was posted.
“2026 Pac-12 Football Schedule”
FBSchedules (schedule announcement, social post)
Coaches and athletic directors cited the schedule’s clarity and the flex-week mechanism as useful tools, while some observers urged caution about travel costs and short-notice matchup changes. Those practical concerns were reflected in commentary from program officials and beat writers following the release.
Unconfirmed
- Final Week 13 matchups are projected but not confirmed until six days prior to Nov. 28; exact pairings and any last-minute changes remain possible.
- How the CFP committee will treat a flexed late-season, non-conference matchup in 2026 remains uncertain and will depend on committee criteria at that time.
- Potential future adjustments to home/away assignments beyond those stated may occur if the league determines changes are in its best interest; details of any such changes are not yet public.
Bottom line
The 2026 Pac-12 schedule is a deliberate attempt to rebuild the conference’s competitive footprint and national relevance. By expanding to eight teams and adopting a seven-game round-robin, the league provides clear head-to-head data points for CFP evaluation and restores a full conference slate for member schools.
Flex scheduling in Week 13 adds strategic flexibility to position teams for postseason consideration, while a home-site championship game on Dec. 4 rewards regular-season success. Key uncertainties remain — chiefly the CFP treatment of flex matchups and the operational impact of increased travel — but the structure gives the Pac-12 a workable platform to reestablish itself on the national college football map.