SUMMER STORYLINE NO. 7: How competitive will Boise State’s Olympic sports be in Year One of the Pac-12?

Boise State's Olympic sports programs join the Pac-12 in the 2026-27 season, beginning Sept. 24 when volleyball hosts Gonzaga in the conference's first official matchup for the Broncos. The move impacts 15 varsity programs transitioning from the Mountain West and other conferences into a league with recent NCAA Tournament success across multiple sports.

Volleyball adds transfer libero Melia Barlow, who recorded 430 digs at Northern Arizona, while retaining starter Sydney Dreves. Women's soccer returns goalkeeper Ava de Leest, the Mountain West's Defensive Player of the Year as a true freshman. Gymnastics faces elite competition from Oregon State and Southern Utah, which bring 50-year and 13-year postseason streaks, respectively. New softball coach Andrew Rich, who guided Idaho State to its first NCAA Tournament appearance this spring, inherits a program seeking to return to postseason play.