"It's Pac 8 again" "Hate this more than anything": Fans react as five Mountain West teams send petitions to join former Power conference

The Mountain West Conference will look different starting next year. Five Mountain West members officially sent letters of resignation from the conference over the weekend. Utah State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Boise State and Colorado State set to join the Pac-12 Conference in 2026.

The said schools had announced their intention to leave for the Pac-12 last September. They filed the formal paperwork and paid the $5,000 deposit on Saturday night to avoid getting a large exit fee from MWC, with their impending switch drawing various reactions from college hoops fans.

"So now it’s the pac 8 again," one fan wrote.

"Hate this more than anything. F***ing puke," another fan commented.

"You still realize it’s not the PAC 12, since you only have 7 football programs. You technically don’t even have enough programs to have a conference at all, you need at least 8. Even at 8 schools you would not be considered a power conference," one fan pointed out.

Here are some other reactions.

"BACK THE PAC!!!!!! Now let’s add Memphis, Tulane, UTSA, & USF (or at least one from that group) and call it a day," one fan shared.

"So who the F is the next school to join…" another fan asked.

"They would not have signed unless they know who the 8th member is. I guess we have to wait until June 4 to find out!" one fan tweeted.

The five departing teams and Mountain West are still mediating as to how much money the conference is owed following their exits. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, each school may have to pay around $18 million to leave the MWC.

How Mountain West teams fared in the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

The Mountain West Conference sent four teams to the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, finishing this year's March Madness with a 2-4 overall record. Colorado State, New Mexico, San Diego State and Utah State secured spots in the Big Dance, with the Rams and the Lobos grabbing first-round victories.

New Mexico Lobos coach Richard Pitino has a word with guard CJ Noland (#0) during the second half of their NCAA Tournament First Round game at Rocket Arena on March 21, 2025. Photo: Imagn

Colorado State recorded a massive upset in the first round, beating No. 5 seed Memphis 78-70. They came close to reaching the Sweet 16, losing 72-71 to No. 4 seed Maryland in the second round. New Mexico defeated No. 7 seed Marquette 75-66 in their round-of-64 clash before the Lobos lost to Michigan State in the second round.