The Mountain West Conference announced on Thursday that it is pursuing mediation concerning the lawsuit filed by the Pac-12. This development comes as the Pac-12 seeks to absorb five teams from the Mountain West, triggering a dispute over $55 million in “poaching” fees. The legal action by Pac-12 and its affiliates challenges the validity of the poaching clause established when a scheduling agreement was signed for their football teams last season.
The clause in question required payments to the Mountain West starting with $10 million for the first team to leave, increasing by $500,000 for each additional school. Additionally, these teams were liable for more than $17 million in exit fees under a separate agreement. Teams like Colorado State, Utah State, San Diego State, Fresno State, and Boise State have plans to shift to the Pac-12 in 2026.
Acknowledging the situation, the Mountain West expressed its intention to resolve the conflict amicably. In a statement, they stated their focus remains on supporting member institutions and student-athletes, despite confidence in their legal standpoint.
The Pac-12 did not immediately issue a public comment following this development. The conference, which has seen a drastic reduction in its original structure, nearly disbanded as most of its teams opted to move to the Big Ten and Atlantic Coast Conferences last year. Consequently, the Pac-12 created a scheduling partnership with the Mountain West to ensure Washington State and Oregon State could compete in the 2024 season.
This move set off the poaching clause, resulting in legal implications. For the Pac-12 to secure an automatic bid for its conference champion in the College Football Playoff, it still requires an additional program to reach the requisite eight teams. Meanwhile, the Mountain West is expanding, welcoming UTEP, Hawaii, and Northern Illinois to its football lineup beginning in 2026.
