Pac-12 Football

Former Florida State wide receiver Malik Benson has committed to Oregon in the transfer portal, he told ESPN's Pete Thamel.

Benson decided to join the Ducks in order to play for Dan Lanning's staff and alongside projected starter Dante Moore, he told Thamel.

He was granted an additional year of eligibility thanks to the NCAA's recent decision to grant a waiver to former junior college transfers.

Benson began his career at Hutchinson Community College before committing to Alabama as 247Sports' top-ranked JUCO prospect.

He transferred to Florida State after one season, then re-entered the portal on Dec. 23 after recording 25 catches for 311 yards and a touchdown with the Seminoles.

Benson made 12 catches for 171 yards and a touchdown over the first three games of the season, but saw his targets decrease after that as the Seminoles' quarterback trio combined for just 2,164 total passing yards.

His other top choices were Tennessee, a program bringing back quarterback Nico Iamaleava, and Kansas, where quarterback Jalon Daniels is returning.

Both signal callers boasted more college experience than Moore, who has not started since transferring from UCLA to Oregon ahead of the 2024 season.

But Benson might be hoping to get more targets at Oregon, where the Ducks are looking to replenish their wide receiver room as they prepare to lose their top two wideouts in Tez Johnson and Traeshon Holden to the NFL Draft.

Evan Stewart, who ranked third with 613 receiving yards last season, has yet to announce whether he will return for 2025.

If Stewart does come back to Eugene for his final year of college eligibility, the combination of him and Benson would give the Ducks a speedy wideout duo that could help them replace Johnson's agility. Benson is a former high school track athlete who rank a 10.4-second 100-meter dash, per 247Sports Allen Trieu,

Florida State is meanwhile looking to rebound from a 2-10 finish to the 2024 season with the transfer additions of former Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos and former USC wideout Duce Robinson.

The Noles may continue adding to their receiving room in order to replace Benson as Mike Norvell's team looks to bolster their chances of returning to bowl game contention.

Oregon State released its 2025 football schedule on Wednesday, and it reveals an interesting quirk.

The Beavers will play two regular season games against Pac-12 rival Washington State, one at home on Nov. 1 and another on Nov. 29 in Pullman.

"We're excited to have a second straight year with seven dates at Reser Stadium," Oregon State's athletic director Scott Barnes said in a statement.

"We elected to play two games against Washington State in order to maximize the strength of this schedule, which includes intriguing matchups both at home and on the road."

At the moment, Oregon State and Washington State are the only two remaining Pac-12 teams after the 10 other ex-members defected for the Big Ten, Big 12 or ACC.

However, the Pac-12 is rebuilding, adding Gonzaga, Boise State, Fresno State, Utah State, Colorado State and San Diego State beginning in 2026. Gonzaga does not have a football program, putting the Pac-12 at seven football teams in two years.

Oregon State notably plays some former Pac-12 rivals in Cal and, of course, in-state rival Oregon. But playing two games against the same opponent in the regular season is unique, although not unprecedented.

Chris Vannini of The Athletic provided more insight on the matter.

ESPN's Kyle Bonagura also provided more insight.

Per Greg Woods of the Spokesman-Review, Washington State now has 10 games lined up for 2025, with two openings left.

Amid the Pac-12's push to bring in new members to the once shrinking conference, UConn won't be joining the league, per the Hartford Courant's Dom Amore.

UConn, which is currently independent in football, explored the idea of joining the Pac-12 as a football-only member last week, but the school is no longer interested. Amore noted that UConn doesn't consider the Pac-12 the right fit for its football program right now.

UConn's basketball program and most other sports compete in the Big East conference, though that league stopped sponsoring football in 2012. After spending eight seasons in the American Athletic Conference, the Huskies went independent in 2021.

In recent years, UConn has had a desire to join a power conference but has yet to find a suitor. Amore noted the university's talks with the Big 12 paused in August.

While struggles over the past few seasons have made the Huskies a less-than-desirable addition in football, a 3-2 start to the 2024 season could help UConn make a case to be added to a Power 5 conference.

The Pac-12 has added Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Utah State over the past month and brought in Gonzaga, which doesn't have a football team, on Tuesday.

The addition of the six schools brings the Pac-12 to eight members, but it is still just one football-playing member short of meeting the eight teams required for a conference champion to be eligible for an automatic bid to the College Football Playoff.

The Pac-12 is suing the Mountain West over what it claims is an "illegal" poaching fee, according to Shehan Jeyarajah and Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, after the conference lured Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Utah State away from the Mountain West in an attempts to reach eight football schools by the 2026 season.

Per that report, the Mountain West wrote a "poaching penalty" into its scheduling agreement with the Pac-12 last year that would charge the conference "$10 million per school in damages, which are separate from the $17 million exit fee that schools must pay."

"The MWC imposed this poaching penalty at a time when the Pac-12 was desperate to schedule football games for its two remaining members and had little leverage to reject this naked restraint on competition," the Pac-12 wrote in its legal filing. "But that does not make the poaching penalty any less illegal, and the Pac-12 is asking the court to declare this provision invalid and unenforceable."

Indeed, when Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA ditched the Pac-12 for the Big Ten—and Colorado, Utah, Arizona and Arizona State did the same to join the Big 12—both Washington State and Oregon State were left scrambling to schedule opponents for the 2024 season.

They ultimately came to a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West, paying $14 million for 12 games in the 2024 season. There was an option for a second season, but it went unexercised, with the Pac-12 claiming the Mountain West asked for $30 million to extend the agreement.

Still, the conference's desire to void a poaching penalty they agreed to feels a bit flimsy from a legal standing:

That said, there might be some recourse for the Pac-12.

"They're [Pac-12] basically claiming they had no choice, they were under duress," sports law attorney Mit Winter told CBS Sports. "Their best argument might be that it's an unenforceable penalty. When you have a liquidated damages clause like that, it can't be unreasonable or otherwise it's considered an unenforceable penalty."

There is also the matter of UNLV. The Pac-12's poaching of Mountain West schools has left both conferences at seven programs each, with UNLV another potential target of the Pac-12. Bringing UNLV aboard would move the Pac-12 to the eight football schools required to be recognized as a conference and eligible for a potential automatic berth in the College Football Playoff.

And after the Mountain West lost four of its top schools, alongside Utah State, would UNLV be hamstringing itself by remaining in a weakened conference that is also facing a lawsuit?

"I don't see why UNLV would stay in the Mountain West now," Winter noted.

Utah State is heading to the Pac-12.

Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, Utah State accepted an invitation from the conference and will be the Pac-12's seventh member in its new formatting, joining Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State, which also left the Mountain West Conference for the Pac-12.

Subsequentially, UNLV is expected to reengage in conversations with the Pac-12 following Utah State's move, Thamel reported. UNLV previously committed to the Mountain West on Monday, though that commitment was not formalized.

According to Thamel, UNLV agreed to a memorandum of understanding to remain in the Mountain West, though the commitment depended on all eight remaining schools staying in the conference.

After Utah State accepted the invitation, UNLV decided to pause talks with the Mountain West and explore other options.

As it stands now, Air Force, Hawai'i, New Mexico, Nevada, San Jose State and Wyoming are the only remaining members in the Mountain West, meaning the conference would need two more football-playing schools by 2028 to meet NCAA requirements.

The Mountain West was prepared to give UNLV a significant lump payment to remain in the conference. Air Force was also one of the schools that was promised a payment to stay in the Mountain West.

While a move to the Pac-12 could potentially lead to more financial opportunities in the future for UNLV, it would first need to pay a significant exit fee to the Mountain West. According to Thamel, the conference is already set to earn $120 million from the departures of Boise State, Fresno State, San Diego State and Colorado State.

The Pac-12 is now up to seven schools with the addition of Utah State, but still needs an eighth member to be recognized as an official conference, meaning a commitment from UNLV would be crucial.

The Pac-12 has also targeted schools outside of its geographical footprint like Memphis, Tulane, USF and UTSA, but those four schools all committed to staying with the American Athletic Conference on Monday.

The Pac-12 was facing its demise after 10 schools left for the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC, but the conference has experienced a resurrection in recent weeks and is close to securing its future.

USC legend Reggie Bush has filed a lawsuit against the school along with the Pac-12 and NCAA over past use of his name, image and likeness without compensation, according to CBSSports.com's Shehan Jeyarajah.

Bush's lawyer, Evan Selik, said the litigation "is not just about seeking justice for Reggie Bush."

"It's about setting a precedent for the fair treatment of all college athletes," Selik said, per Jeyarajah. "Our goal is to rectify this injustice and pave the way for a system where athletes are rightfully recognized, compensated and treated fairly or their contributions."

This follows similar lawsuits lodged by former college athletes.

In June, members of the championship-winning North Carolina State men's basketball team from 1982-83 sued the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Company over the longstanding usage of their NIL.

The following month, a group of former men's basketball players including Kansas standout Mario Chalmers named the NCAA, Turner Sports Interactive and multiple conferences as defendants as they seek earnings they believe they've earned through the usage of their NIL in promoting the NCAA tournament.

Denard Robinson and Braylon Edwards headlined a group of former Michigan athletes who alleged in their own suit the NCAA and Big Ten Network "systematically exploited" memorable highlights for years.

A proposed settlement encompassing three major cases would see a total of $2.78 billion paid out over 10 years to athletes who competed as far back as 2016. Lawsuits like those filed by Bush and others could widen the pool even further in terms of who might receive retroactive NIL pay.

Bush was one of the biggest stars in college football during his three years with the Trojans. He had 4,479 yards from scrimmage and 38 touchdowns while scoring four times on special teams.

A national champion in 2003 and 2004, Bush had his 2005 Heisman Trophy formally reinstated in April. He's still pursuing a defamation suit against the NCAA, which stems from the organization saying he had been involved in a "pay-for-play" situation.

The Pac-12 is reportedly targeting a pair of Mountain West teams after approving the additions of Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State last week.

Per Action Network's Brett McMurphy, UNLV and Utah State have emerged as the Pac-12's "top" expansion targets should the conference decide to add schools within the same geographical area.

The report comes amid the league also considering the additions of Memphis, Tulane, USF and UTSA.

Both Utah State and UNLV have been somewhat competitive in recent years. The Aggies have been to bowl games over the past three seasons and went 11-3 in 2021. They're 1-2 to start the 2024 season, though their two losses have come against ranked opponents.

Utah State also had football, men's basketball, women's soccer and volleyball reach the postseason for the first time in school history last year.

The Rebels struggled for much of the last decade but have seemingly started trending upwards. They went 9-5 in head coach Barry Odom's first season as head coach in 2023 and could have the chance to represent the Group of Five in the College Football Playoff this year after starting the season 3-0 with a pair of wins against Big 12 opponents.

UNLV is also ranked No. 25 in the AFCA Coaches Poll.

According to McMurphy, one source said "the athletics and university leadership at both universities have a synergy with the new Pac-12 makeup."

McMurphy also noted that the Nevada Board of Regents would have to approve UNLV's move to the Pac-12, but the school is not tied to the University of Nevada.

The Pac-12 seemed to be heading toward its demise after it saw 10 teams depart for the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC last year, but the league has gained momentum in recent weeks by targeting Mountain West teams. It could add two more Mountain West teams in UNLV and Utah State while also keeping the possibility of bringing in Memphis, Tulane, USF and UTSA from the AAC.

Leaving the America Athletic Conference for a new wave Pac-12 will be an expensive endeavor.

Pete Thamel of ESPN reported that the exit cost for AAC schools to depart the conference is "nearly" $27.5 million per school for them to join the Pac-12 for the 2026 season.

Memphis, Tulane, UTSA and South Florida are current AAC teams that have been contacted by representatives from the new Pac-12, per Dan Wolken of USA Today. The Pac-12 currently consists of Oregon State and Washington State but has confirmed the additions of Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Fresno State for the 2026 season.

Those teams were taken from the Mountain West Conference and will have to pay an exit fee of $17 million. The Pac-12 is expected to "help offset" these costs for those four teams.

The conference could use a similar strategy with potential AAC teams, but the steeper price could make that difficult. Additionally, the AAC already has an established television deal that is estimated to be in the $8-9 million range, per Wolken. The Pac-12 does not have a deal in place and the valuation is expected to be in the $10-12 million range.

This would likely be dependent on bringing in solid brands from the AAC and forming a conference that towers above the other non-power conferences. Still, the slight increase in television revenue would come with a high exit fee and significant travel for teams across all sports.

The Pac-12 must expand to at least eight teams to remain a power conference, so further additions are necessary even if the AAC teams decide to hold off.

The teams will need to weigh their options and decide if departing for this conference is worth it.

The Pac-12's quest to continue its existence has already included poaching Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State from the Mountain West Conference. Now, it reportedly has its sights set on the American Athletic Conference, too.

According to Chris Vannini of The Athletic, the Pac-12 has identified Memphis and Tulane as its "top targets," though he added that UTSA, North Texas, South Florida and Texas State are the "central-eastern options the Pac-12 is looking into."

Five of the schools mentioned above are in the AAC, with Texas State the lone outsider from the Sun Belt.

There is also the possibility that the Pac-12 could further poach the Mountain West:

As for schools like UNLV and Air Force, Vannini noted that the pair are "more likely if the conference strikes out on its eastern swing attempts."

The AAC is expected to make a push for Air Force to join Army and Navy, bringing the three service academies together.

It remains unclear if UNLV will untether itself from Nevada, much as Oregon and Washington did to Oregon State and Washington State—the two remaining Pac-12 programs—when they departed for the Big Ten alongside USC and UCLA.

Many of the changes are focused on football, given the lucrative media-rights deals that accompany the sport. But one of the more interesting possibilities, according to Vannini, is that the conference could consider Gonzaga as a basketball school.

As he wrote: "Although Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes told The Athletic on Saturday that football is a requirement for members, other sources briefed on the league's thinking believe that's just for this next step, not ruling out the possibility that the league would try to add a school like Gonzaga to what could be a strong basketball conference."

The Pac-12 remains on a fixed deadline to ensure its existence—it requires eight members by July 1, 2026 to be recognized as a conference by the NCAA. But it sounds as though it has identified plenty of potential options in that effort.

As the Pac-12 looks to keep adding more teams to its roster, Tulane and Memphis have emerged as potential targets for the conference.

On Saturday's Big Noon Kickoff, Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic reported the Pac-12 has shown "some interest" in Tulane and Memphis as expansion targets.

This comes after Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Fresno State announced on Thursday they would be joining the Pac-12 starting with the 2026-27 academic year.

The Pac-12 is currently operating with Washington State and Oregon State is its only members. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah left to join the Big 12. Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington are now in the Big Ten. California and Stanford moved to the ACC.

In order for Washington State and Oregon State to fill out a full schedule, the two schools entered into a partnership with the Mountain West Conference.

Per ESPN's Kyle Bonagura, the four Mountain West schools that will join the Pac-12 in two years will have to pay their current conference $an exit fee of $18 million each. The Pac-12 will also pay the Mountain West more than $40 million in poaching fees that were part of their scheduling agreement for the 2024 season.

Bonagura cited Tulane and Memphis as "realistic" targets for the Pac-12, but the two programs "will need a much clearer understanding of the financial picture to leave the AAC than the threshold used by the four MWC schools."

USA Today's Scooby Axson noted in 2022 after Cincinnati, Houston and Central Florida reached a deal to leave the AAC for the Big 12 that the American Athletic Conference has an exit fee of $10 million and requires a 27-month notice of departure.

If a school leaves before the 27 months, the exit fee is negotiated between the university and conference.

According to Bonagura, the NCAA requires conferences to have at least eight members. The Pac-12 was given a two-year grace period to exist below that minimum.

The additions of Tulane and Memphis along with Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State would get the Pac-12 up to eight members if the conference can work out an exit deal with the AAC over the notice of departure.