Pac-12 Bound: What Texas State’s Move Means for Athletics and the University

man in gray business suit speaking behind podium
AD Don Coryell addresses Bobcat supporters & media, May 2024

Behind the Deal: Athletics Director Don Coryell reflects on the Bobcats’ bold leap and how we got here 

July 15, 2025
Jeremy Thomas

As part of Texas State Athletics for 21 years, Athletics Director Don Coryell had already participated in two conference realignments before TXST officials accepted an invitation to join the Pac-12 Conference. But that doesn’t mean the Bobcats’ latest leap was easy.  

The Texas State University System Board of Regents approved TXST’s move to the Pac-12 Conference last week, following a flurry of negotiations. When the move takes effect on July 1, 2026, TXST will join Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Oregon State, San Diego State, Utah State, and Washington State as a foundational member of the new Pac-12.  

Coryell, who became athletics director in 2021 after previously serving as associate athletics director, said he “enjoys being the underdog.” That’s been an increasingly difficult position to claim for the Bobcats in recent years, considering back-to-back bowl game victories for football, Sun Belt Conference championships for track and field, volleyball, and softball this past season, and last year's signing of the largest naming rights agreement in school history with UFCU.  

graphic of txst super cat logo and pac-12 conference

Now, TXST Athletics will face fresh challenges. The Bobcats sports teams must navigate their final seasons in the Sun Belt Conference with a new target on their backs. Then, starting in Fall 2026, they’ll be competing with a new slate of highly competitive programs. 

Shortly after the Pac-12 news was announced, Coryell took a few minutes to visit with Hillviews. He says the conference realignment is a fitting move for TXST, both athletically and as an institution: “It’s time for us to tell this school’s story on more of a national stage.”  

Why is the Pac-12 a good fit for TXST Athletics?  

It’s an opportunity to compete at the highest level. We think it’s going to be one of the top football and men’s basketball conferences in the country, and the other sports are outstanding as well. It’s also going to help us grow our brand nationally. Our fans here are already very excited about this move, so we anticipate financial gains as well.  

I feel like we’ve got our house in order—this is a good time for us. Comprehensively, our sports do really well, and with the recent success of our football team, we know we’re ready for this move. We're going to have an opportunity to win championships. Looking at some of the metrics and some of the stats and things, we’re similar in a lot of ways to the other schools in the conference.  

How will TXST as a whole benefit from joining the Pac-12? Why should students, faculty, staff, and alumni be excited about this move?  

From a sports perspective, we're going to be able to compete against some of the top teams in the country. When you get into athletics, you want to compete against the best, right? Whether you're a coach, athlete, or administrator, that's the goal. Also, we're going to be recruiting players that we've never been able to recruit before. But it's not just about athletics. It's more about the university and encouraging students to come here to get a degree and better themselves, so I think this move will allow us to elevate our brand.  

iphone mockups of pac-12 conference instagram posts

The announcement of TXST's move to the Pac-12 generated excitement across the Bobcat fanbase and around the evolving conference.

Why is now the right time for TXST to join the Pac-12?  

From the university perspective, it's all about telling the story about how wonderful this place is. I mean, 40,000 students, the 24th-largest undergraduate institution in the country, on the path to becoming an R1 research institution. It's time to tell that story about the school on more of a national stage. From an athletics standpoint, we’ve got everything rolling in athletics right now. The recent success of several of our sports definitely gives us confidence that we can be competitive in the Pac-12.  

 When did it first become apparent to you that the Pac-12 was a viable possibility for TXST?

When [TXST President] Kelly Damphousse got hired here [in 2022], our conversation started pretty quickly about, just in general, being prepared for realignment. So, we had those conversations early about being prepared for changes. Then, things really kind of ramped up back in September when the Mountain West schools announced they were leaving for the Pac-12. But what Kelly knew relatively early was that the Pac-12 wasn't going to make a decision on expansion or inviting another school until they secured their media deal. Once they did that [on June 23], the timeline really accelerated. So basically, we’ve always had a pulse on what was going on, but it really heated up during the last week of June.  

TXST President Kelly Damphousse and Athletics Director Don Coryell visit at the announcement of the UFCU Stadium naming rights deal in May 2024.

When was TXST first approached by the Pac-12?  

The official invite came late last week [week of June 23], and then we alerted the Texas State University System office so we could get approval by the Board of Regents [regents meetings require 72-hour advance public notice]. Then they had their meeting on Monday [June 30] where we got approval, and then we signed the contract.  

Who were the primary players in helping navigate the deal to join the Pac-12?

Really, Kelly is number one. These types of things are usually spearheaded by the university president, and he really did a wonderful job telling our story and representing all Bobcats.

The Board of Regents and the chancellor, helping us make this happen, would obviously be near the top of the list. There's always behind-the-scenes people who are doing things to help out too. Whether it’s our athletic senior staff, whether it’s just our coaches and our student-athletes—everything they’ve done on a daily basis is what makes us appealing. This wasn’t something that you just kind of turn a light switch on and say, “Oh my gosh, you got a chance right now!” The foundation for this moment was being built for a long time. It's truly a team effort, probably too big of a team for me to single out one or two individuals.  

Were there times when you thought this deal wouldn’t come together and how did you navigate those?  

I'm not sure any of us knew for sure what was going to happen. You know, they [the Pac-12] made it very clear that they weren't going to make an invitation to someone until they had a media agreement. There certainly were months when things were quiet. There’s lots of closed-door discussions that don't get out, and so you’re never entirely sure where you stand. Sometimes you’ve just got to put your cards out on the table and trust that they’re good enough.

What are you personally most excited about regarding TXST’s move to the Pac-12?  

The competition we’re going to be playing against. But additionally, I think we're going to be able to recruit and sign those players who would have otherwise not thought to look at Texas State. We think we're going to sell more tickets. We think we're going to get more donations.  

You’ve seen TXST Athletics move from the Western Athletic Conference to the Sun Belt, and now to the Pac-12. What do you think has contributed to that growth and evolution?  

I would give Kelly an awful lot of credit, his commitment to helping us get to where we want to be. I can also say that I'm not sure we’d be in this position today if our football program wasn't in the situation it’s currently in. So, I’ve got to give credit to Coach Kinne and his staff. In some ways, everybody affiliated with TXST has played a part in what we’re doing. We’ve got a great and supportive president’s cabinet; and ultimately every student that has shown up for an athletics event over the years—our fans, our donors, and everyone in Bobcat Nation who has supported this moment. Also, our outstanding coaches and student-athletes and the success they’ve had across the board.

What is something about the process of conference realignment that most TXST fans wouldn’t know about?  

I’ll just say, the power and influence of social media and how people get caught up in speculation. And because of that, there's certain things that you can't talk about when you're going through this process, and that makes it challenging.  

 How would you encourage TXST teams and athletes to handle their final seasons in the Sun Belt knowing they'll be moving to a new conference next year?  

From a coaching and student-athlete standpoint, just think about, “Where's your next step?” It’s right in front of you. We’ve got to take care of business in the Sun Belt. We want to win the Bubas Cup again [the conference’s all-sports championship trophy, awarded to the top athletics department in the conference based on a points system]. The challenge will not be that other schools didn't already want to beat us, but now they want to beat us even more because we're leaving the league. There's going to be a target on our backs, so I’ve been spreading the message: “You better be ready.”  

Play Video

The Current - TXST Joins the Pac-12 Conference with Don Coryell & Brant Freeman

In a bonus episode of The Current, Athletics Announcer Brant Freeman talks with President Kelly Damphousse and Athletics Director Don Coryell about Texas State University joining the Pac-12 Conference. 

Jeremy Thomas

Jeremy Thomas is a content marketing specialist for the TXST Division of Marketing and Communications. He helps coordinate content published to the TXST Newsroom and TXST News Twitter/X account.