Tag: Pac-12

Stanford and Cal unlikely to join Pac-12 following realignment

Cal and Stanford returning is a longshot.

The Pac-12 is alive and well following the addition of four news teams. But two familiar faces are unlikely to rejoin the newly resurrected conference.

The University of California and Stanford made an unexpected move, joining the ACC this offseason, with many questioning the feasibility of adding two West Coast teams to the conference. With the Pac-12 adding Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State, there were immediate questions about adding Cal and Stanford back to the conference to fill out the remaining spots.

According to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, however, it seems unlikely that the two former Pac-12 teams will find their way back to their old conference given the potential ramifications.

https://twitter.com/dennisdoddcbs/status/1834106604200800260

Having already played two games in the ACC, Stanford, and Cal are stuck in their new conference as the Pac-12 looks to add outside members for the future. With Wyoming, Hawai’i, and Nevada potentially eying a conference change, the Pac-12 could become the new Mountain West Conference in only a few years.

Pac-12 Conference adding four schools in 2026-27

The Pac-12 will grow from two to six schools in 2026-27

The Pac-12 Conference tripled in size overnight. Granted, it won’t happen until 2026-27 but Oregon State and Washington State won’t stand alone in the future.

The conference that was decimated by realignment is poaching four schools from the Mountain West:

The Pac-12 Conference Board of Directors voted unanimously to admit Boise State University, Colorado State University, California State University, Fresno, and San Diego State University, four respected institutions celebrated for their achievements in both academics and athletics, to the Pac-12 Conference effective July 1, 2026. Competition will begin for all conference sports in the 2026-27 academic year.

Following the review of the formal written applications from the four universities, Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould and the conference Board of Directors strategically evaluated each university’s application using five prioritized measures and established criteria which included academics and athletics performance; media and brand evaluation; commitment to athletics success; geography and logistics; culture and student-athlete welfare.

A series history of the Civil War, one of college football’s most historic rivalries

A look at the history of the rivalry between the Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers

The Oregon Ducks vs. the Oregon State Beavers — September 14th, 2024.

It still doesn’t feel right to play the Civil War in week three of the college football season, but it’s a September game or nothing for these former conference foes, and forever rivals.

The Ducks and the Beavers will play for the 128th time this weekend, but this game will feel different than ever before. For the first time in the history of this rivalry, this is a non-conference game after the effective dissolution of the Pac-12 last year.

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The Civil War is one of college football’s most historic rivalries, in part because the all-time series has always been close. In the 127 games between these teams, Oregon has one 68 times, the Beavers have won 49, and the game has ended in a tie 10 times.

In the final years of the Pac-12, this rivalry was at its best. Last season, both the Ducks and the Beavers came into the post-thanksgiving game ranked in the top 15 of the AP Poll, both grasping for one of the four College Football Playoff spots. The Ducks won the game 31-7, and we got to see one of Bo Nix’s Heisman moments, as he connected with Troy Franklin on a long touchdown pass thrown across his body.

That was revenge for the year prior when Oregon State beat the Ducks in Corvallis, after trailing Oregon by 17 points in the fourth quarter. In that game, the Beavers had three rushers with over 50 yards on the ground, including 103 yards from star RB Damien Martinez.

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From 1997 to 2006, this series was deadlocked, with the home team winning each year until 2007 when the Beavers beat the Ducks in Autzen Stadium, 38-31.

Since Oregon is now a member of the Big Ten, and Oregon State survives in the Pac-12, this matchup is no longer guaranteed each year. This year’s game is the first part of a home-and-home scheduled through 2025, but in 2026 we may see a season without Oregon-Oregon State for the first time since 1944. Hopefully, the powers that be work to keep this rivalry alive because it’s games like these — not neutral site games in Las Vegas — that make college football as wonderful as it is.

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What could have been: Former Pac-12 programs off to 21-2 start

The former Pac-12 conference teams are a combined 21-2 to start the season, with four programs ranked in the AP Top 25.

The 12 college football programs that made up the last full iteration of the Pac-12 conference are off to an outstanding start to the season collectively, a brutal reminder to west coast football fans of what could have been.

The teams currently sit with a combined record of 21-2, with the only losses coming when Colorado got trounced by Nebraska in Week 2 and Stanford’s loss to TCU in Week 1.

The two remaining Pac-12 programs, Oregon State and Washington State, are a combined 4-0 with the Cougars securing a win over Big 12 opponent Texas Tech in Week 2. Those two teams will face their old rivals, Oregon and Washington, in Week 3 – matchups between four programs that are all 2-0 on the year.

Oregon didn’t make it look easy, only beating Idaho by 10 and needing a fourth quarter comeback to defeat Boise State, but they remain a legit player for a spot in the expanded College Football Playoff alongside the USC Trojans, who knocked off LSU in Week 1 before blowing out Utah State on Saturday.

Oregon and USC are two likely College Football Playoff contenders in the Big Ten, while the Utah Utes and Arizona Wildcats are both in the picture out of the Big 12. Those four teams are all ranked in the AP Top 25, with Washington (27) and Cal (3) picking up votes as well.

In the ACC, Cal picked up a quality win over SEC opponent Auburn in Week 2, establishing themselves as a legit player in the conference thanks to star running back Jaydn Ott and a strong defensive unit.

While many of the rivalry matchups will still take place this season, the college football world was robbed of an opportunity to see this group of teams compete against each other in 2024.

Oregon State trolls Oregon about local Big Ten Network blackouts

Oregon State Beavers make jab at rival Oregon Ducks for Big Ten media rights causing blackouts locally ahead of college football season.

The Pac-12 conference was gutted for a variety of factors, which prominently included a media rights deal that wasn’t working for the member institutions or the fans.

The Pac-12 Network was difficult for fans to find, and the lack of games on major networks led to limited visibility and major frustration – which was expected to be alleviated in the Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC.

However, as Comcast subscribers in the Pacific Northwest are finding out, the same old problems persist.

Comcast offers a $10 add-on which features the Big Ten Network, a relatively small price to pay for fans of Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA to ensure access to their favorite teams as they embark on a new season.

Except, as reported by John Canzano, a battle of ‘territorial rights’ currently means local games will be blacked out on the Big Ten Network – proof the more things change, the more they stay the same.

The irony of Oregon bolting from the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten – in part because of more reliable media rights – is certainly not lost on Oregon State, who took a shot at their longtime rivals with a social media post on Tuesday.

The Beavers were one of two Pac-12 schools left in the dust during realignment, and they are now playing as independents along with Washington State for the next few years while they look to rebuild the conference.

It has certainly been a rough calendar year for the Beavers and Cougars, but they can relish the fact their games are much easier to find on TV locally, at least for the time being.

How difficult is Oklahoma’s schedule according to ESPN’s FPI?

How difficult is the SEC? Nine of the 10 hardest schedules in the country reside in one conference, per ESPN’s Football Power Index.

The Oklahoma Sooners have been waiting to join the [autotag]SEC[/autotag] since the summer of 2021. After officially becoming members on July 1, OU opens its first season in the conference on Aug. 30 against Temple. The first league game occurs on Sept. 21 against Tennessee.

One of the major talking points surrounding Oklahoma this offseason has been the difficult schedule the Sooners were given to open their time in the SEC. OU was done no favors when it came time to the schedules, but it may be something Sooner fans have to get used to.

That’s because ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) has ranked all 134 Football Bowl Subdivision teams by how difficult their schedules are. While the FPI has been known to have some wacky outputs at times, this list illustrates just how tough OU’s new league is.

Oklahoma has the seventh-toughest schedule in college football, according to the FPI. Furthermore, of the 10 toughest schedules in 2024, nine are from the SEC. Georgia Tech, out of the [autotag]ACC[/autotag], is the only non-SEC team with one of the 10 most difficult schedules.

For reference, the hardest schedules in the [autotag]Big 12[/autotag] belong to West Virginia and Houston, ranked 36th and 37th. They slot in right behind UMass. The toughest [autotag]Big Ten[/autotag] schedule belongs to Purdue (11th). Notre Dame is all the way down at No. 55, behind Kent State, Colorado State, Louisiana-Monroe and Boise State. Neither [autotag]Pac-12[/autotag] school cracked the top 65. Florida has the country’s toughest schedule per the FPI, followed by Mississippi State and its new head coach, former Oklahoma offensive coordinator [autotag]Jeff Lebby[/autotag].

Again, the FPI has been known to have some outputs that don’t always line up with what is commonly believed to be accurate. For example, Texas doesn’t have the 10th-hardest schedule in the nation this season, but that’s where FPI has it slotted. The Longhorns dodge the toughest foes in the SEC, aside from Georgia, Texas A&M and the annual rivalry matchup with the Sooners.

Head coach [autotag]Brent Venables[/autotag] hopes his team can take the next steps in 2024 and improve again. Oklahoma will be breaking in a new offensive line and a new starting quarterback in [autotag]Jackson Arnold[/autotag], along with new coordinators on both sides of the ball. However, Venables’ defense looks ready to take another leap forward and Arnold’s upside is undeniable. He’ll have no shortage of weapons to get the football to, as OU looks to make the [autotag]College Football Playoff[/autotag] for the first time since 2019.

Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes and opinions. You can also follow Aaron on X @AaronGelvin.

CW Network unveils announcers for Pac-12 and ACC football plus studio shows

CW Network has its announcing crews for the 2024 college football season, including Thom Brenneman after his four-year forced exile.

We’re in the middle of “media season” in college football, with media day events occurring in various conferences, including USC’s new home in the Big Ten. While all of that is happening, the Pac-12 (essentially the Pac-2 of Washington State and Oregon State) and the ACC are also preparing for the new college football season. CW Network will air Pac-2 and ACC games. The network has released its set of announcing crews for the 2024 season.

John Canzano, at his Substack (subscription required), had this item a few weeks ago:

The CW broadcast teams for the Pac-12 games this season will be announced anytime now. I’m told it will be Ted Robinson (play-by-play) and Chase Daniel (analyst) together in the booth. JB Long (play-by-play) and Michael Bumpus (analyst) will be paired as a second broadcast team.

I previously reported that The CW is adding a studio show to highlight the ACC and Pac-12 games this season. It will be produced by Pac-12 Enterprises in the entity’s Bay Area studios. The aim is to add additional college football programming and give the games a boost.

Ken Fang of Awful Announcing has the fuller list of details here.

In addition to the Robinson-Daniel and Long-Bumpus pairings for Pac-2 games, Thom Brenneman will be paired with former Pac-12 Network analyst Max Browne for ACC games and possibly an occasional Pac-2 game.

Pac-12 Network alumnus Mike Yam will host the new “CW Football Saturday” live studio show, beginning on Saturday, Aug. 31.

CW airs Washington State’s and Oregon State’s season openers on Aug. 31. The CW then airs two ACC games — Marshall-Virginia Tech and Ole Miss-Wake Forest — on Sept. 7 to launch its 2024 coverage of the two conferences.

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Weird Pac-12 bowl setup creates new revenue distribution rules

Pac-12 death, Big Ten realignment create a new reality for the bowls in 2024.

Conference realignment, which has pushed USC to the Big Ten after the death of the Pac-12, will create some very weird scenarios in the 2024 college football season. One such scenario pertains to bowl games.

Per John Canzano at his Substack (subscription required), the Pac-12’s old bowl structure will remain, meaning that the tie-ins will still exist for the 10 former member schools plus Oregon State and Washington State. The Sun, Independence, Las Vegas, Alamo, and Holiday Bowls will still be open to the 12 schools which were in the Pac-12 in 2023.

Here’s the wild nuance, per Canzano:

How does the money work? I asked. The conference that participates in the game retains the revenue. For example, the Big 12 will get the money for participation by Arizona, ASU, Utah, and Colorado. The ACC will get the bowl revenue if Stanford and Cal make the games. The Big Ten gets paid if USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington participate. The Pac-12 keeps the bowl revenue for the Beavers and Cougars.

Pac-12 bowl tie-in, Big Ten and ACC revenue. It’s weird, but then again, that’s what college football normally is.

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Will the Pac-12 be reborn? Not in the next few years, but maybe in a decade or two

In 2035 or 2040, the Pac-12 might be brought back to life. In the meantime, those Big Ten TV checks are going to cash for several years.

The current reality in college sports is that the Pac-12 no longer exists in any meaningful sense. Sure, the conference website still has Oregon State and Washington State listed as members, but that’s a technicality. There aren’t 12 schools in the conference. There aren’t even 10 or eight. The conference which used to be known as the Pac-10 and, before that, the Pac-8 does not have a meaningful presence in college sports right now. If we don’t view this as a dead conference, it is at least comatose. How long will the coma last? We don’t know, but we do think that a rebirth will happen in our lifetimes.

In the next six to eight years, the schools which have made their way to the Big Ten and the SEC will collect the checks they are counting on to fatten up their coffers and provide sorely-needed revenue. USC will collect all that sweet Big Ten television money. UCLA will do the same. For the next several years, the checks are going to cash, and that will offset any cries for limited travel and a less logistically challenging world for student athletes in the non-revenue sports.

However, once the next decade goes by — with 10 years of repeated long-distance travel — it’s hard to think that administrators won’t eventually turn around and realize how counterproductive it is to be flying across the country instead of having USC play Stanford and UCLA play Cal and Oregon State play Washington. In 2035 or 2038 or 2040, administrators might say enough and bring back the architecture of the Pac-12. Yes, the Big Ten checks are going to cash at USC, but is this going to be the permanent “forever home” for the Trojans? Check back in 10 to 15 years.

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No last regrets for USC as it leaves Pac-12 behind, enters Big Ten

Never forget why USC had no real choice about leaving the Pac-12 for the Big Ten.

Well, here we go: USC is entering the Big Ten with the Pac-12 essentially dead. It’s sad, but the move was entirely necessary. As the move becomes a more real part of our lives, some people might be having final pangs of regret, an understandable emotional response to the end of what has been a special era for millions of Western Americans, in Southern California and elsewhere along the coast.

A simple reminder: No one at USC should feel somehow guilty or responsible for blowing up the Pac-12. Nope. The Pac-12 did this to itself. Let’s remember what we said last summer:

The Pac-12 presidents obviously believed that with USC gone, the conference was still worth a lot more than ESPN or the market indicated. The presidents didn’t seem to factor the absence of USC into their calculations. They disregarded the importance of the USC football brand and how much that meant to the conference.

Keep in mind: This was not the first time Pac-12 presidents fatally underappreciated USC’s value to the conference.

During Larry Scott’s tenure — when the seeds of the Pac-12’s destruction were planted — the conference refused to give the Trojans an extra revenue share that would have kept them happy as a conference member. This was a known issue. The conference refused to do anything about it. When George Kliavkoff took over from Larry Scott in 2021, he did not have enough time to mend this fractured situation. USC left one year after Kliavkoff took over.

Now we can see Pac-12 presidents continued to dismiss USC’s real value to the conference. Here we are, with the Pac-12 lying in ruins. USC fans and other national observers were quick to notice how losing the Los Angeles TV market seemed to have no effect on the Pac-12’s calculations, leading to the disastrous decision to reject ESPN’s 2022 media deal.

The only regrets about the death of the Pac-12 should come from Larry Scott, George Kliavkoff, and the Pac-12 CEO Group, not anyone else, especially at USC.

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