By james art 
Oliver McKenna/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
As the Pac-12 looks to continue adding more teams to its roster, Tulane and Memphis have emerged as potential conference targets.
On Saturday A big lunchtime startBruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic reported that the Pac-12 has shown “some interest” in Tulane and Memphis as expansion targets.
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“Sources tell me the Pac-12 has some interest in Tulane and Memphis from the AAC.” @BruceFeldmanCFB shares the latest Pac-12 expansion updates ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Fx7x6R47Dx
That comes after Boise State, Colorado State, San Diego State and Fresno State announced on Thursday, they will join the Pac-12 beginning in the 2026-27 academic year.
The Pac-12 currently operates with Washington State and Oregon State as its only member. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah left to join the Big 12. Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington are now in the Big Ten. California and Stanford moved to the ACC.
In order for Washington and Oregon to fill a full schedule, the two schools entered into a partnership with the Mountain West Conference.
According to ESPN’s Kyle Bonagura, the four Mountain West schools that will join the Pac-12 in two years will have to pay their current conference an exit fee of $18 million each. The Pac-12 will also pay the Mountain West more than $40 million in poaching fees that were part of their scheduling agreement for the 2024 season.
Bonagura cited Tulane and Memphis as “realistic” targets for the Pac-12, but the two programs “will need a much clearer understanding of the financial picture to leave the AAC than the threshold used by the four MWC schools.”
USA todayScooby Axson noted in 2022, after Cincinnati, Houston and Central Florida reached a deal to leave the AAC for the Big 12, that the American Athletic Conference has a $10 million exit fee and requires 27 months notice to leave.
If the school leaves before the 27 months, the exit fee is agreed between the university and the conference.
According to Bonagura, the NCAA requires conferences to have at least eight members. The Pac-12 was given a two-year grace period to exist below that minimum.
Adding Tulane and Memphis along with Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State would bring the Pac-12 to eight members if the conference can reach an exit deal with the AAC on the exit notice.