The conference realignment dominoes continue to fall.
UTEP informed Conference USA on Tuesday morning that it is leaving for the Mountain West, sources confirmed to Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger. The MWC and UTEP have been in intense negotiations for several days.
Separately, Gonzaga is joining the Pac-12, the conference announced on X. The Bulldogs are the revamped Pac-12’s eighth member, but the school doesn’t have football so it doesn’t count as a full-time member. The conference still needs to add at least one more full member to reach the minimum threshold.
Gonzaga brings a storied basketball program to the Pac-12. The Bulldogs have made the NCAA tournament for the last 25 consecutive years and advanced to at least the Sweet 16 the last nine tournaments. They’ll join San Diego State, Colorado State, Utah State, Fresno State, Boise State, Washington State and Oregon State in the new Pac-12.
The Mountain West has also held deep and serious talks with FCS Tarleton State, sources tell Yahoo Sports. The MWC also needs one more full member to qualify as a conference. Negotiations between the Texas-based FCS school and the conference have progressed.
