The Pac-12 and Mountain West conferences have reached an agreement in principle to resolve pending lawsuits over “poaching” and exit fees.
The conferences issued a joint statement along with five schools on Monday saying the parties agreed to stay lawsuits in California and Colorado while they “work to negotiate and finalize the settlement.”
FILE - The PAC-12 logo is displayed, March 3, 2024, in Boulder, Colo.
David Zalubowski / AP
Boise State, Utah State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Fresno State joined the conferences in the statement.
The settlement agreement comes a day before a discovery hearing in the case was set to take place in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
The Pac-12 and some of the schools joining the conference filed a lawsuit in California in 2024, claiming the poaching clause the league agreed to when it signed a scheduling agreement for its football teams was invalid. The clause called for payments to the Mountain West of $10 million for the first team that left, with the amount increasing by $500,000 for every additional team — to a total of $55 million.
The scheduling agreement with the Mountain West allowed Oregon State and Washington State to piece together football schedules after 10 schools left the Pac-12 in 2024, leaving the conference’s future in doubt.
The Pac-12 had its motion to dismiss denied by Judge Claudia Wilken in November after the sides failed to reach an agreement in mediation last summer.
Colorado State and Utah State filed a separate lawsuit — later joined by Boise State — against the Mountain West seeking to avoid exit fees ranging from $19 million to $38 million.
Colorado State, Utah State, San Diego State, Fresno State and Boise State are set to leave the Mountain West and join the Pac-12 this fall. The conference added Texas State in June to reach the eight-team minimum to be eligible for an automatic bid for its champion in the College Football Playoff.
Gonzaga also is leaving the West Coast Conference to join the Pac-12 as a non-football member this fall.
The Mountain West has added UTEP, Hawaii and Northern Illinois for football starting this fall.
