For years, San Diego State’s pursuit of Pac-12 membership represented one of the university’s biggest athletic goals. On July 1, that pursuit officially became a reality.
San Diego State officially entered the newly reconstructed Pac-12 conference alongside Gonzaga, Texas State, and former Mountain West opponents Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and Utah State. They will join continuing members Oregon State and Washington State as the conference begins a new chapter.
While much of the national conversation surrounding conference realignment has focused on football, media rights and revenue, the move carries significant implications for SDSU’s women’s athletic programs.
From recruiting and national exposure to postseason opportunities and increased competition, the transition has the potential to reshape nearly every women’s program on campus.
For coaches across the athletics department, the conference logo on an Aztec jersey represents more than a new opponent. It represents an opportunity to compete on a larger stage while building programs capable of contending against some of the West’s strongest competition.
Recruiting enters a new era
Perhaps the greatest long-term impact of joining the Pac-12 will be recruiting.
For decades, the Pac-12 name has carried prestige throughout the West Coast. While today's conference looks different than the one that existed just a few years ago, the brand still resonates with recruits who grew up watching Pac-12 competition.
For SDSU coaches, that recognition could become an important recruiting tool. Instead of selling recruits solely on San Diego’s weather, facilities and academic opportunities, coaches can now point to conference matchups against recognizable opponents and the chance to compete in one of the country’s most recognizable athletic conferences.
The move may also strengthen the Aztecs’ ability to retain local talent. Southern California consistently produces some of the nation’s top athletes across basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball and track and field. Remaining close to home while competing in the Pac-12 may appeal to student athletes who previously looked elsewhere.
Credit: San Diego State Athletics
Recruiting also extends beyond high school prospects. The transfer portal has fundamentally changed college athletics, and conference affiliation often factors into athletes’ decisions. A Pac-12 schedule may make San Diego State a more attractive destination for transfers looking to compete against stronger competition without leaving the West Coast.
Women’s basketball embraces higher expectations
Few programs may feel the impact of the conference move as immediately as women’s basketball.
Under head coach Stacie Terry-Hutson, the Aztecs have steadily elevated the program, reaching postseason play and building one of the Mountain West’s most competitive teams.
Now conference play presents a different challenge.
Programs like Gonzaga have become consistent NCAA tournament participants, while Oregon State has built a national reputation over the past decade. Every conference game now carries greater weight, not only within standings but also in NCAA tournament resume building.
Stronger conference opponents can improve NET rankings and create additional opportunities for Quad 1 and Quad 2 victories, two metrics that often influence NCAA tournament selection.
That opportunity comes with increased difficulty.
Every conference road trip becomes more demanding. Every home victory carries greater significance.
“As we move into the Pac-12, I think it's going to be even more competitive, and just excited for what the future brings,” said Terry-Hutson. “Getting the Pac-12 back to where it was, which I believe was one of the strongest women's basketball conferences in the country [and] for sure on the West Coast. So just excited to be a part of that.”
The 2025-26 team went 19-1 in conference play, taking the Mountain West regular season championship title and was invited to play in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament for their postseason berth. The season was a historic one for the basketball team, ending with 27 wins, tied the program’s record.
Kennedy Lee (left) and Nat Martinez smother UNLV. Credit: San Diego State Athletics
Soccer gains a larger platform
Women’s soccer may quietly become one of the strongest beneficiaries of the move.
SDSU has consistently remained competitive while producing professional talent, and competing in the Pac-12 provides additional opportunities for national exposure.
More recognizable conference opponents can increase attendance, television exposure and recruiting interest while giving current student-athletes more opportunities to compete in high-profile matches.
For prospective players, the chance to compete in Pac-12 competition while remaining in Southern California may strengthen SDSU’s recruiting pitch.
Soccer’s first Pac-12 game will be on October 1 at 7 p.m. PDT, against Boise State in San Diego. Last season, the team finished 4-2-4 in the Mountain West conference. The game will provide an opportunity for the Aztecs to avenge a semifinal loss in the Mountain West conference tournament, falling to Boise State 2-3 in penalty kicks.
Credit: San Diego State Athletics
Volleyball faces stronger competition
The same can be said for volleyball.
Colorado State has long been one of the Mountain West’s premier volleyball programs, while Gonzaga continues to strengthen its presence in the sport.
Regularly competing against programs with strong postseason expectations can improve NCAA tournament resumes while helping prepare athletes for postseason competition.
For student athletes, those matches also provide greater exposure to professional scouts and national audiences.
Volleyball’s first Pac-12 game will be at Colorado State on September 24, with the first home game on October 8 against Oregon State at 6 p.m. The team opened conference play with a six-game win streak last season and reached the semifinals in the Mountain West conference tournament. The Aztecs finished 15-16 overall in 2025.
Track and field continues its upward climb
SDSU’s track and field program has steadily produced NCAA qualifiers and conference champions in recent years.
Competing in the Pac-12 introduces another level of competition.
Rather than viewing that as a disadvantage, many coaches see stronger weekly competition as an opportunity for athletes to improve throughout the season.
Facing nationally ranked opponents during conference competition may better prepare athletes for NCAA regional and national championships. The move also aligns SDSU with a conference historically recognized for producing Olympic athletes.
The program earned a Mountain West Conference Championship title in the heptathlon with Jenna Fee Feyerabend this past outdoor season in May, and sent four Aztecs to the first round of qualifiers for the NCAA Tournament as well.
Softball, golf, tennis and swimming also stand to benefit
Although basketball and soccer often receive the most attention, nearly every women’s program could experience changes.
Softball gains additional opportunities to strengthen its NCAA tournament resume through conference play.
Women’s golf may benefit from increased recruiting visibility as the Pac-12 continues its strong tradition of strong collegiate golf.
Tennis could see similar recruiting advantages, particularly within California’s deep junior tennis pipeline.
Swimming and diving athletes will face stronger conference competition that could contribute to improved qualifying performances throughout the season.
Each sport faces its own challenges, but each also gains opportunities to elevate its national profile.
Credit: San Diego State Athletics
Not every women’s program is moving to the Pac-12
Conference realignment has become increasingly complex, and not every SDSU women’s program will compete under the Pac-12 banner.
Water polo is scheduled to join the Big West Conference as an affiliate member beginning in the 2027-28 academic year. The move places the Aztecs in one of the nation’s strongest water polo conferences while reflecting the increasingly sport-specific nature of conference affiliations.
Rather than weakening the program, the move provides consistent competition against nationally ranked opponents while allowing the sport to compete in a conference that has traditionally been one of collegiate water polo’s strongest.
Greater exposure extends beyond the field
The benefits of conference membership are not limited to competition.
More nationally recognized opponents can create opportunities for increased attendance, expanded media coverage and additional television exposure.
Those factors may also contribute to stronger NIL opportunities for student athletes, increased donor engagement and greater visibility for the athletic department as a whole.
While those outcomes are not guaranteed, they represent possibilities that accompany participation in a conference with broader national recognition.
And breathe. The Aztecs won’t miss the towering elevation of the Mountain West
The Mountain West was so named for a reason. It was known for its six teams whose home venues were at a hard-to-acclimate 4500 feet or higher, including both Wyoming and Air Force at above 7,000 feet. Preparing to play at elevation was a constant challenge for teams, requiring additional cardio burn drills and a 7-day advance beet juice routine. Although two of these six high-altitude teams will join the Aztecs in the new Pac-12 (see the blue bars in the graph for the Pac-12 schools), the three schools with the highest elevations — New Mexico, Air Force and Wyoming — are staying put.
Challenges remain
The transition also comes with obstacles.
The Pac-12 schedule will likely prove more demanding than what many programs experienced previously.
Longer travel, increased expectation and consistently stronger competition will test both athletes and coaching staffs. Success may not come immediately.
Programs that once expected to compete near the top of conference standings may now face deeper fields and more nationally recognized opponents.
Yet many coaches view those challenges as part of the opportunity. Competing against stronger opponents often accelerates development while providing clearer benchmarks for long-term success.
More than a conference change
Conference realignment is often discussed through the lens of television contracts, football revenue and institutional finances. For SDSU’s women athletes, the move is far more personal.
It means new rivalries, new recruiting opportunities and new expectations. And perhaps most importantly, a larger stage.
The Pac-12 stitched onto an Aztec uniform does not guarantee conference championships or NCAA tournament appearances. What it does provide is opportunity.
Beginning this fall, SDSU’s women will compete in a conference that asks more of them than ever before. Whether in basketball, soccer, volleyball, softball, golf, tennis, swimming or track and field, each program now enters a new chapter with the chance to establish itself among the West’s premier athletic programs.
The conference name has changed for SDSU.
Now begins the work of defining what SDSU’s place within it will become.
Top photo: Derrick Tuksan/San Diego State Athletics
