Oregon State AD: Pac-12 will look to add new schools quickly - ESPN

CORVALLIS, Ore. — Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes said the newly rebuilt Pac-12 will look to add at least two more schools for 2026 as quickly as possible.

«I think John Wooden said it, 'Let's be quick but don't hurry,'» Barnes said Saturday. «Get it right, but it's in our best interest to move as quickly as we can.»

The Conference of Champions, which collapsed with the departure of 10 of its teams, announced Thursday a new incarnation with four teams from the Mountain West joining Oregon State and Washington.

The revived Pac-12, with Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State, will launch in 2026. But the league needs to have at least eight teams to qualify for automatic inclusion into NCAA championships and the College Football Playoff.

Asked whether the conference had seen any teams express interest in joining in the 48 hours after the realignment announcement, Barnes stated simply: «Bunches.»

Barnes spoke before the rivalry game between Oregon State and former conference foe Oregon, which jumped to the Big Ten this season. He said the league could potentially add more than just the two schools needed to reach the NCAA and CFP thresholds.

«It's a lot like the processes we used to bring these foundational members in, in that the criteria will be very similar. We've already started in earnest with our first meeting yesterday to look at the landscape. There is great interest in this very early stage,» Barnes said.

«I would love to see this wrapped up as soon as possible,» he added. «But certainly we want to get it right. These are long-term, historic decisions that we're making, and we'll take enough time to make sure we've got the right new members. But the sooner we can move forward the