Pac-12 - Mountain West merger plans reportedly set to rest after conference drops update on 2025 partnership

The Pac-12 and the Mountain West Conference won’t extend their scheduling partnership to the 2025 season. The agreement sealed between both parties in December, which was for the 2024 season, had an option to extend to 2025. However, this option will not be activated.

This has put to rest the possibility of a merger between both conferences at the end of the deal. The Pac-12 is currently enjoying a two-year grace period from the NCAA to meet membership requirement, and a merger with the Mountain West was previously seen as an option.

“The football scheduling arrangement with Oregon State and Washington State was a one-year agreement,” the Mountain West said in a statement Monday.

“For the 2025 season, the Mountain West and its member institutions are moving forward with their conference and nonconference schedules. Our focus remains on the current season and our exceptional teams.”

---

Why the Pac-12 and Mountain West agreement extension failed

There was a Sept. 1 deadline for the Pac-12 and the Mountain West Conference to reach a formal agreement on the scheduling contract for the 2025 season. A host of college football analysts expected the deal to be sealed as it would bring some certainty to the Pac-12’s future.

However, the fee structure of the scheduling contract was a point of contention. The Pac-12 attempted to negotiate lower terms to secure a renewal, but Mountain West schools rejected their offer. This led to a stalemate in the discussions before the eventual failure.

The Pac-12 is paying a total of $14 million in three separate types of fees for the first year of the scheduling partnership and wants a more favorable deal for the second year. It’s worth noting that the Pac-12 sealed a two-year scheduling deal with the Mountain West in a host of other sports aside from football.

---

The fate of Mountain West schools in Pac-12 expansion

The Pac-12 faces a significant financial hurdle if it hopes to rebuild using Mountain West schools. This gives MWC schools little chance of being part of the Pac-12 expansion.

According to the contract, the scheduling partnership includes a stipulation that any Mountain West school defecting to the Pac-12 would trigger a $10 million fee, with additional multimillion-dollar escalator fees for each subsequent school.

This financial barrier makes piecemeal expansion costly. However, the Pac-12 is permitted to pursue a reverse merger with the entire Mountain West conference without incurring any penalties, offering a potential, albeit challenging, path forward.