June has arrived, meaning football teams are starting to report for summer workouts in the lead up to fall camp. Another milestone of the off-season
The Mountain West is set to split this summer with the “departing five” leaving to create the reformed Pac-12. The Mountain West has added the likes of North Dakota State, Northern Illinois, and UTEP to fill the gaps.
We at the Mountain West Connection intend to cover both conferences going forward. “Friday Five” will feature the five best of, well, anything
leading into football season, alternating between each conference week-to-week. Best quarterbacks, stadiums, mascots, who knows. We’re open to your ideas! This week, we start off with Friday Five reasons to be excited for 2026 Pac-12 Football.
5. Respect for Western football
While we wait to see if the efforts of Congress lead to lasting stability in college football, the status quo remains: chaos. NIL, the transfer portal, among other factors, college sports continue to be lawless. That lawlessness played a role in destroying the old Pac-12. The reformed Pac-12 might look strange to some, but in an age where Oregon at Rutgers is a conference matchup, the Pac-12 features a rarity nowadays: legitimate regionalism. If you’re a Boise State fan, the furthest you’ll travel in-conference is to San Marcos, Texas every other year. Otherwise, it’s traveling to neighboring states like Utah, Oregon, Washington. California and Colorado aren’t exactly far either. A conference where regionalism matters, that’s cause for excitement.
4. Texas State’s offense
The current state of the Pac-12 sits at seven football playing schools, the most recent addition being Texas State. Head coach G.J. Kinne is one of the brightest young minds in the college game and brings his high flying offense to the Pac-12. Quarterback Brad Jackson returns to San Marcos after totaling 3968 yards to his name in 2025, both passing and rushing. Jackson has a legitimate shot to be preseason player of the year for the conference. People want to watch exciting football, and Texas State is poised to deliver that on offense this fall.
3. A sense of belonging returns
In August 2023, the Pac-12 as we knew it was beginning to crumble. When the destruction settled, Washington State and Oregon State were left without lifeboats to the remaining power conferences. Over three years later, the two Pacific Northwest programs are finally leaving this footballing purgatory. Acting as essentially independents still wearing the Pac-12 logo, these last few years have been frustrating for fans in Corvallis and Pullman. Yes, there is no replacing the competition of facing USC, Oregon, Washington, etc., but the Beavers and Cougs will gain a sense of belonging in this reformed Pac-12. Maybe even a sense of normalcy. That is worth being excited for.
2. California teams are poised to pounce
San Diego State head coach Sean Lewis and Fresno State head coach Matt Entz are relative newcomers to the head coaching scene out west, but both are hoping to see the fruits of their labor this fall. The Aztecs broke out under Lewis last fall after a disappointing debut season, narrowly missing out on the conference title game. They’ll return a ton of players on offense, but be replacing a lot of talent on defense. Fresno State also just missed out on the conference championship game, they’ll return a top notch defense and hopefully an improved offense. Both teams will have a Los Angeles school each in their crosshairs, the Aztecs playing UCLA and the Bulldogs playing USC. Can they score a statement win each for the Pac-12? These two teams are poised to contend for the conference title.
1. On paper, Boise State is ready to lead
It is hard to win a conference championship. From C-USA up to the Big Ten, it’s no easy accomplishment. Spencer Danielson’s Boise State Broncos have done it three straight years, a three-peat. Nearly unheard of. There were plenty of unique bumps in the road (Avalos fired in 2023, devastating injuries in 2025), but the feat holds all the same. Early SP+ ratings show Boise State is the frontrunner in the league, although with plenty of competition to come. With a College Football Playoff berth in 2024 under the belt, the Pac-12 is looking to Boise State to hold that standard high. Quarterback Maddux Madsen is back to lead an experienced team this fall. Can the Broncos lead the Pac-12 to the playoff? A strong Boise State team is always cause for excitement.
Others in consideration: There is a new coach in Ft. Collins, and there is reason to believe that Jim Mora Jr. is the man to finally deliver success to Colorado State football. The Rams routinely outspend their peers to no avail. There’s plenty of reason to be excited, Mora Jr. is their best bet to end these frustrations. And no, I didn’t forget about you, Utah State. The Aggies have the strongest athletic administration they’ve ever had. With support on the rise in finances and Bronco Mendenhall on the job, the Aggies should be an exciting program to follow as well.
