Texas State’s talks with the Mountain West Conference have stalled, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Tuesday.
In fact, the school informed the Sun Belt Conference that it would not be going to the Mountain West after Texas State received a verbal offer over the weekend.
At the time of the MWC’s oral offer, the Pac-12 also expressed interest in the Bobcats’ program, sources said, although the offer did not materialize. As a member of the Sun Belt, the Bobcats’ exit fee for a league change is expected to be $5 million.
Texas State has an up-and-coming program that has been in FBS play since 2012. It played one season in the WAC before joining the Sun Belt in 2013. The school played and won its first bowl game as an FBS member in 2023, finishing 8-5 under the coach JJ Kane defeated Rice 45-21 in the First Responder Bowl.
The Bobcats are 2-2 this season, hosting Arizona State in a thrilling 31-28 loss in a game nationally televised on ESPN on September 12. They will play at Troy on Saturday night on ESPNU.
The Mountain West’s original discussions with Texas State intensified following the decisions of UNLV and Air Force to remain in the league last week. This has given the league two base schools to build on moving forward.
The Mountain West has six full-time members, and the state of Texas would have given it seven. It requires eight full-time members to meet the conference’s minimum requirements.
The league’s six full-time members are UNLV, Air Force, Nevada, San Jose State, New Mexico and Wyoming. Hawaii is in the league as a soccer member. The Pac-12 also needs one additional member, as it currently stands at seven.
