What Could Competition In The New PAC-12 Conference Look Like?

The Pac-12 unexpectedly announced today that San Diego State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and Boise State will join the conference beginning in the 2026-27 season. While the Pac-12 may not be done bringing schools into the conference—which they need to do to qualify as an FBS conference—let’s take a look at what a revamped Pac-12 championship would look like.

Of the remaining two schools left in the conference, Washington State is the only one with a swim team. Boise State no longer has a swimming and diving program, meaning that only four schools would compete at the potential 2027 Pac-12 Championships. It would also be a women-only meet, as none of these schools sponsor men’s swimming and diving.

Washington State is scheduled to compete at the Mountain West Conference Championships this year, meaning they will get to face their competition early.

Who Would Be The Team To Beat In The Realigned Pac-12?

Based on the schools in the conference as of writing, San Diego State is the team to beat. They won the 2024 Mountain West Conference by 231 points ahead of UNLV, which so far is remaining in its current conference.

Washington State is scheduled to join the Mountain West Conference Championships this season and while that means they’ll get to check out their soon-to-be conference rivals, it won’t be a clear indication of which team would win in the potential 2027 Pac-12 championship since not all of the nine teams in the Mountain West are migrating.

In a conference championship meet simulation between the four teams (San Diego State, Washington State, Colorado State, and Fresno State) using their 2023-24 rosters, San Diego wins by over 100 points. Washington State finishes 2nd, Colorado State 3rd, and Fresno State 4th.

Any conference championship would have more than four teams, though. Conferences need eight schools to qualify as an FBS conference and though that doesn’t mean all the schools will have a swim and dive program, especially after the House vs. NCAA settlement is finalized, they’d likely need at least one more school to make a conference championship possible.

Which Of These Teams Sent Swimmers To 2024 NCAAs?

Washington State sent two swimmers to the 2024 NCAA Championships, Dori Hathazi and Emily Lundgren. Lundgren got the team on the board, scoring three points with a 14th-place finish in the 200 breast.

San Diego State University was the only one of the new Pac-12 programs to send swimmers to the 2024 NCAA Championships. They’ve done so for the past couple of seasons and in 2024, seniors Alex Roberts and Christiana Williams earned invites. Roberts entered the 100 fly/100 back/200 back and Williams the 100/200 breast. Both are Mountain West conference record holders and return for a fifth year this season, though they will have graduated by the time SDSU switches conferences.

What Does The Mountain West Record Book Look Like?

Here’s how the conference’s record book currently stands:

Not all of these record holders will make the move to the Pac-12. But it’s still worth looking at the record book to understand the current shape of the conference. Knowing the Mountain West’s highest benchmarks helps give a sense of what kind of speed swimmers in these programs are chasing.

Only two Washington State school records are faster than their Mountain West equivalent: Lundgren’s 200 breast (2:07.30) and Hathazi’s 200 fly (1:54.87). In a meet simulation of the 2024 Mountain West Conference Championships that includes Washington State, the Cougars finish third behind SDSU and UNLV.