How Does Utah State Fit in the New-Look Pac-12?

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On Sept. 12, 2024, the Pac-12 officially began rebuilding its membership by inviting Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State to join the conference beginning in 2026. Less than two weeks later, on Sept. 23, Utah State accepted an invitation to become the seventh full-time member of the new-look Pac-12.

The move was helped in part by former Utah State President and current Washington State President Betsy Cantwell, who played a key role in positioning the Aggies for conference realignment before departing for Pullman.

The Aggies have the potential to bring far more to the conference than many realize. They have a proud basketball tradition, a history of recent football success, and are a natural geographic fit into the Pac-12. With strong athletic potential, an engaged fan base, and room for continued growth, Utah State has the profile of a program that could emerge as one of the sleeping giants of the new Pac-12.

So, how well do the Aggies fit in the conference’s long-term future? Let’s take a closer look at what Utah State brings to the new Pac-12.

Coaches’ Salaries

Utah State finds itself in the top half of the conference for both football and men’s basketball coaches’ salaries. Head football coach Bronco Mendenhall will be the third highest paid football coach in the Pac-12, making just over $2 million in 2026. On the basketball side, Utah State’s Ben Jacobson will also be the third highest-paid men’s basketball coach, as he is scheduled to make $1.2 million in 2026.

Mendenhall has built winning programs at previous stops, while Jacobson arrives in Logan after an accomplished 20-year tenure at the University of Northern Iowa that included multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and conference championships. Both hires demonstrate Utah State’s intentions to compete at the top of the conference from day one.

One storyline to watch, however, is coaching stability in men’s basketball. Since 2015, no Utah State basketball coach has remained in Logan for more than three seasons. The Aggies have consistently hired coaches who quickly turned the program into a winner before leaving for higher-profile opportunities. With the move to the Pac-12 bringing increased revenue, visibility, and resources, Utah State hopes membership in a power conference will make it easier to retain successful coaches and build long-term continuity.

Stadium Capacity

Utah State football plays at Merlin Olsen Field at Maverik Stadium and has a seating capacity of 25,513 fans.

This makes Utah State’s Maverik Stadium the smallest venue in the Pac-12 behind Martin Stadium, which has a capacity of more than 7,000 seats. The Utah State athletic department will look to continue building momentum by increasing home attendance numbers. In 2025, Utah State averaged 18,855 fans per home game, up from 14,768 fans per game in 2024. Home football attendance will be one of Utah State’s most glaring opportunities for improvement this season. 

Social Media Presence

As college athletics become increasingly driven by branding, recruiting, and fan engagement, a program’s digital footprint has become another way to measure its reach. 

Using the combined follower totals from each program’s official X and Instagram accounts, Utah State trails Washington State in most major athletic categories.

Utah State Athletics: 50,300 combined followers.
Washington State Athletics: 134,800 combined followers.

Utah State Football: 124,900 combined followers.
Washington State Football: 242,300 combined followers.

Utah State Men’s Basketball: 50,200 combined followers.
Washington State Men’s Basketball: 56,200 combined followers.

Utah State Women’s Basketball: 11,800 combined followers.
Washington State Women’s Basketball: 22,000 combined followers.

(Numbers as of July 2026.)

Washington State maintains a sizable advantage in overall athletic department and football followers, reflecting the exposure that comes with decades of competing in the Pac-12.

With the move to the Pac-12, Utah State should benefit from greater television exposure, more marquee matchups, and increased national attention. If the Aggies continue winning at their recent pace, their digital presence has plenty of room to grow.

Athletic Department Success

Football: The Aggies have seen recent football success in the Mountain West. Utah State won the Mountain West championship in 2021 and appeared as high as No. 14 in the 2018 Week 13 AP poll.

Men’s Basketball: Utah State has appeared in four straight NCAA Tournaments. Men’s basketball has also won three Mountain West Conference championships since 2019.

Volleyball: The Aggies’ volleyball program brings a lot of recent success as well. Utah State won three consecutive Mountain West volleyball championships from 2021-23.

Location

Logan, Utah, sits just 84 miles from Salt Lake City, Utah, giving Utah State a large population of potential fans to draw from. In the state of Utah, the Aggies are also competing with Utah and BYU for students and fans.

Although Utah State has Salt Lake City 84 miles away, the school does have the second smallest population within a 50-mile radius of campus. Utah State ranks seventh in the Pac-12 with a population of 674,494 within a 50-mile radius. Washington State ranks eighth and last with a population of just 185,740 within a 50-mile radius.

Why Utah State Was Added to the Pac-12

The Aggies bring one of the most consistent men’s basketball programs on the west coast, a football program with multiple 10-win seasons over the past two decades, and successful Olympic sports, including a volleyball program that captured three consecutive Mountain West championships from 2021-23. The university has also demonstrated a willingness to invest in athletics, ranking near the top half of the new Pac-12 in both football and men’s basketball coaching salaries.

Utah State also strengthens the conference geographically. While conference realignment has shown us that geographic fit is not the most important consideration, Logan provides the Pac-12 with another foothold in a growing state while helping create a more compact conference footprint.

Although the Aggies have the conference’s second smallest football stadium and trail several Pac-12 members in overall brand recognition and social media following, this also highlights an area for the Aggies to grow. Increased television exposure, higher-profile games, and the financial benefits of Pac-12 membership could help elevate Utah State’s profile in the years ahead.

Similar to Washington State and other Pac-12 institutions, Utah State has consistently found ways to win despite operating with fewer resources than many of its peers. If the Aggies can pair that winning culture with the increased revenue and visibility that comes with being in the Pac-12, they have the potential to become one of the conference’s biggest success stories.

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