{"id":201991,"date":"2025-09-05T09:54:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T09:54:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/201991\/"},"modified":"2025-09-05T09:54:09","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T09:54:09","slug":"texas-state-set-to-join-pac-12-but-its-nearest-conference-opponent-is-1000-miles-away","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/201991\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas State set to join Pac-12, but its nearest conference opponent is 1,000 miles away"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN MARCOS, Texas<\/strong> \u2013 Texas State\u2019s move to the Pac-12 Conference is more than just a competition upgrade. It\u2019s a substantial shift in what travel looks like for the entire Bobcats athletic department.<\/p>\n

When the Bobcats officially join the league on July 1, 2026, every conference game will require getting on a plane. The closest Pac-12 school, Colorado State, is nearly 1,000 miles (997) from San Marcos. The furthest future opponent, Oregon State, is more than 2,000 miles (2,096) away.<\/p>\n

Currently, the Bobcats are accustomed to traveling by bus to games in Louisiana, Arkansas or Mississippi as part of the Sun Belt Conference. Their future reality means longer trips, more missed class time and a much larger travel budget.<\/p>\n

The impact of extended travel<\/p>\n

In one year\u2019s time, Texas State will go from the westernmost member of the Sun Belt and become the easternmost member of the new Pac-12. The Bobcats\u2019 athletics department will likely feel the change the most in their travel budget. <\/p>\n

Most of Texas State\u2019s current Sun Belt games are within fewer than 500 miles of San Marcos, which allows teams to bus to its conference opponents dotted along multiple southern states.<\/p>\n

However, the Pac-12\u2019s footprint \u2014 truer to its regionality \u2014 is much more spread out as far west as the Pacific Ocean. Travel distances to games stretch from San Diego, California, to Pullman, Washington, which is nearly 2,000 miles away.<\/p>\n

Pac-12 travel distance to opponents from San Marcos. (KSAT)<\/p>\n

Every Pac-12 opponent is outside reasonable driving distance from San Marcos, or more than 500 miles away. The closest future league opponent being Colorado State, which is 997 miles away. The furthest the Bobcats will travel is Oregon State, located 2,096 miles from home.<\/p>\n