PAC-12

The Pac-12 and the schools that will soon join it, including Utah State, filed the lawsuit last year, claiming the poaching clause it agreed to when it signed a scheduling agreement for its football teams for last season was invalid.

The lawsuit, filed in a Colorado court, says the Mountain West and commissioner Gloria Nevarez disregarded the league’s bylaws to punish the five schools leaving for the Pac-12 “in a desperate attempt to prevent further membership departures.”

Gonzaga become the eighth member along with holdovers Washington State and Oregon State, and fellow newcomers Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, Utah State and Colorado State. Adding Gonzaga still leaves the Pac-12 in need of another football-playing member for CFP purposes.

After the departure of Utah State, the 7 remaining Mountain West schools have agreed to stay in the league amid overtures by the Pac-12 and other conferences to lure away more of its teams.

It's official: Utah State University is joining the Pac-12 as the reformed conference is legally battling the Mountain West over fees it describes as unlawful and unenforceable.

The University of Utah and the other nine departing schools will each have $5 million in revenue withheld for the 2024 fiscal year for a total of $50 million.

The decision keeps in place a legal victory for the league’s two remaining schools — Oregon State and Washington State — over its 10 departing members, including The University of Utah.

All 12 Mountain West schools will be involved and Oregon State and Washington State will each play three home games and three road games against members of the conference.

The Washington state Supreme Court has granted a request by the University of Washington and the Pac-12 to put on hold a lower court’s ruling that gave Oregon State and Washington State control of the conference.

A judge has granted Oregon State and Washington State a preliminary injunction in their legal battle with 10 departing Pac-12 schools, including the University of Utah.

Ten departing Pac-12 schools claim they should have a say in running the conference until they officially leave in August.

The preliminary injunction hearing will be held in Washington Superior Court in Whitman County.