A dozen years passed before the Pac-12 considered another Texas school — but it wasn’t the Longhorns or Aggies. During the purgatory period of 2022-23, after USC and UCLA announced their move to the Big Ten, then-commissioner George Kliavkoff put SMU in the crosshairs, along with San Diego State.

For the Pac-12, Texas State gains more scheduling flexibility since it plays in the Central Time Zone, while also expanding its footprint beyond the West Coast. Don't California our Texas, unless it means a lucrative media rights deal for Texas State.

The rebuilt conference reached the required number of full-time members by adding the Bobcats, who are based in San Marcos, Tex.