Like shifting sands in the Sonoran Desert, conference realignment continually reshapes the teams of Division I college football.
No conference has been victimized by this in recent years more than the Pac-12. Once the home of elite West Coast academic and athletic institutions, the Pac-12 was summarily vacated by most of its member institutions after the 2023-24 academic year.
USC, Oregon, UCLA, and Washington went to the Big Ten. Several other football programs, including 2021 and 2022 conference winner Utah, moved to the Big 12.Â
Cal and Stanford somehow wound up in the Atlantic Coast Conference because we’re living in a postmodern time, and words don’t mean anything anymore.
Only Oregon State and Washington State remained in the dead husk of the Pac-12.
But don’t call time of death just yet, because the zombie Pac-12 is on the horizon. The conference is reloading its roster of schools ahead of the 2026-27 academic year.Â
As of August, the 2026 Pacific-12 will feature nine total schools, including eight football programs. That’s enough to field an official NCAA conference with a champion who would be hypothetically eligible for College Football Playoff inclusion.
How much respect this reformed conference will get in the eyes of the playoff voters is another matter entirely.Â
Pac-12 Conference New Teams
- Boise State
- Colorado State
- Fresno State
- Gonzaga (basketball only)
- San Diego State
- Texas State
- Utah State
The Old Pac-12: Where Did Everybody Go?
| Pac-12 Football Team (Join Date) | New Conference | Total Pac-12 Championships |
|---|---|---|
| Washington (1915) | Big Ten | 18 |
| California (1915) | ACC | 15 |
| Stanford (1918) | ACC | 15 |
| USC (1922) | Big Ten | 37 |
| UCLA (1928) | Big Ten | 17 |
| Washington State (1962) | N/A -- Still in Pac-12 | 4 |
| Oregon (1964) | Big Ten | 14 |
| Oregon State (1964) | N/A -- Still in Pac-12 | 5 |
| Arizona State (1978) | Big 12 | 3 |
| Arizona (1978) | Big 12 | 1 |
| Utah (2011) | Big 12 | 2 |
| Colorado (2011) | Big 12 | 0 |
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