History of Pac-12 Conference in Timeline
The Pac-12 Conference is a college athletic conference in the Western US, participating in NCAA Division I, including FBS football. Currently, it consists of just two members: Oregon State and Washington State. It was formerly one of the most successful collegiate athletic conferences in the US, but has been significantly impacted due to a wave of schools leaving the conference in 2024.
1915: California and USC History
California and USC also have a long history, playing each other beginning in 1915.
1916: PCC Begins Play
In 1916, the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) began play.
1918: Stanford University Joins the League
In 1918, Stanford University joined the league.
1922: PCC Expands to Eight Teams
In 1922, the PCC expanded to eight teams with the admission of USC and Idaho.
1924: Montana Joins the Conference
In 1924, Montana joined the Conference.
1924: Athletes in every Summer Olympic Games
Since 1924, a Pac-12 school has led the country in the number of athletes in every Summer Olympic Games as of the 2017 study.
1928: PCC Grows to 10 Members
In 1928, the PCC grew to 10 members with the addition of UCLA.
1939: Oregon wins first NCAA tournament
Oregon won the first NCAA tournament in 1939.
1947: PCC Champion Receives Automatic Rose Bowl Bid
Since 1947, the PCC champion had received an automatic bid to the Rose Bowl, a tradition inherited by the new league.
1948: Colorado joined what became the Big 12
Even after Colorado joined what became the Big 12 in 1948 (the conference was then known popularly as the Big 7 Conference), the two schools continued their football rivalry for over a decade before ending it after the 1962 season.
1950: Montana Departs to Join Mountain States Conference
In 1950, Montana departed to join the Mountain States Conference.
August 1958: Four Schools Agree to Form a New Conference
In August 1958, California, USC, UCLA, and Washington agreed to form a new conference that would take effect the following summer.
June 1959: PCC Disbanded
Following "pay-for-play" scandals at California, USC, UCLA, and Washington, the PCC disbanded in June 1959.
June 1959: PCC Continues as a Nine-Team League
The PCC continued as a nine-team league through June 1959.
July 1, 1959: AAWU Launched
On July 1, 1959, the new Athletic Association of Western Universities was launched, with California, UCLA, USC, and Washington as the four charter members.
1959: Founding of the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU)
In 1959, the modern Pac-12 Conference formed after the disbanding of the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC). The principal members of the PCC founded the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU).
1959: AAWU founding year
No school had left the Pac-12 from its founding as the AAWU in 1959 until 2024, when 10 of its 12 schools left.
1959: Restarting as AAWU
Since restarting in 1959 as the AAWU, the Pac-12 has had six commissioners:
1960: Conference known as the Big Five
From 1960 to 1962, the conference was popularly known as the Big Five.
1962: Suspending the series
Colorado and Utah, who joined in 2011, were historic rivals in the Rocky Mountain region prior to 1962 when they suspended the series.
1962: Colorado and Utah rivalry dormant
The two newest members, Colorado and Utah, had a football rivalry that had been dormant since 1962. They ended it after the 1962 season.
1962: Conference becomes informally known as the Big Six
When Washington State joined in 1962, the conference became informally known as the Big Six.
1963: Idaho Becomes Independent
Idaho was independent for four years until the formation of the Big Sky Conference in 1963.
1964: Oregon and Oregon State join
Oregon and Oregon State joined in the summer of 1964.
1965: Idaho Remains Independent in Football
Idaho was independent in football until 1965.
1968: AAWU renamed to Pacific-8 Conference
In 1968, the AAWU formally renamed itself the Pacific-8 Conference, or Pac-8 for short.
1973: NIT Participation Allowed
In basketball, participation in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) was not allowed until 1973.
1975: Pac-8 Allows Second Bowl Team
The Pac-8 did not allow a second bowl team from the conference until the 1975 season.
December 1976: Invitations Extended to Arizona and Arizona State
In December 1976, invitations to Arizona and Arizona State were extended to join the conference.
May 1977: Expansion Formally Announced
In May 1977, the expansion to include Arizona and Arizona State was formally announced.
1978: Conference Becomes Pacific-10
In 1978, the conference added Arizona and Arizona State from the Western Athletic Conference, becoming the Pacific-10 Conference or Pac-10.
1978: Last time of adding teams before 2011
Since Arizona and Arizona State joined the conference in 1978, there was growing interest from the membership over the possibility of adding teams.
1978: Arizona and Arizona State Departure
Utah was a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) with Arizona and Arizona State before those two left for the Pac-10 in 1978.
1986: Pac-10 Begins Sponsoring Women's Athletics
The Pac-10 began sponsoring women's athletics in the fall of 1986.
1996: Idaho rejoins FBS
Idaho rejoined FBS in 1996 and was a member until 2017.
1996: Formation of the Big 12 Conference
In 1996, Texas joined three fellow Southwest Conference schools (Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Baylor) to merge with the Big Eight Conference to form the Big 12 Conference.
1997: Arizona wins most recent national title
Arizona has won the most recent national title, winning in 1997.
1999: Utes Leave WAC
In 1999, The Utes left an expanded WAC with seven other schools to form the new Mountain West Conference.
2004: USC Football Vacates Wins and Titles
USC football vacated two wins from their final two games of the 2004 season (one conference game and a bowl game) and all 12 wins from the 2005 season, as well as the conference titles from both years.
2005: USC Football Vacates Wins and Titles
USC football vacated all 12 wins from the 2005 season, as well as the conference titles from both years.
2006: Full Nine-Game Conference Schedule
With the NCAA permanently approving 12-game schedules in college football beginning in 2006, the Pac-10—alone among major conferences in doing so—went to a full nine-game conference schedule.
July 2009: Larry Scott Takes Over the Conference
Larry Scott took over the conference in July 2009.
February 9, 2010: Larry Scott Announces Window for Expansion
On February 9, 2010, Commissioner Larry Scott said that the window for expansion was open for the next year as the conference began negotiations for a new television deal.
June 10, 2010: University of Colorado Accepts Invitation to Join Pac-10
On June 10, 2010, the University of Colorado Boulder accepted an invitation to join the Pac-10 Conference, effective starting with the 2012–2013 academic year.
June 2010: NCAA Sanctions USC
In June 2010, the NCAA sanctioned USC for violations in the football, men's basketball, and women's tennis programs.
June 2010: Reports of Possible Expansion to Sixteen Teams
In early June 2010, there were reports that the Pac-10 was considering adding up to six teams to the conference: the University of Texas, Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Colorado.
June 17, 2010: University of Utah Accepts Invitation to Join Pac-10
On June 17, 2010, the University of Utah accepted an invitation to join the Pac-10 Conference, effective starting July 2011.
July 27, 2010: Pac-10 Announces Renaming to Pac-12
On July 27, 2010, the conference unveiled a new logo and announced that the Pac-10 would be renamed the Pac-12 when Utah and Colorado formally joined in July 2011.
October 21, 2010: Divisions and Championship Game Announced
On October 21, 2010, the Pac-10 announced the creation of divisions and a championship game in football, to be used when Colorado and Utah joined the conference effective July 1, 2011.
2010: BCS Conference with Round-Robin Schedule
In 2010, the last season before the arrival of Colorado and Utah, the only other BCS conference that played a round-robin schedule was the Big East.
July 1, 2011: Pac-12 Assumes 12-Team Alignment
On July 1, 2011, the Pac-12 assumed its 12-team alignment when both Colorado and Utah officially joined as full members.
July 2011: Utah Joins the Pac-10 Conference
Effective starting in July 2011, the University of Utah officially joined the Pac-10 Conference.
July 2011: Utah and Colorado Formally Join
The Pac-10 would be renamed the Pac-12 when Utah and Colorado formally joined in July 2011.
2011: Addition of Colorado and Utah
Before the addition of Colorado and Utah in 2011, only the Ivy League had maintained its membership for a longer time than the Pac-10 among Division I conferences.
2011: Colorado and Utah join
Each of the ten schools that were conference members before 2011 has its own in-state, conference rivalry. Colorado and Utah, who joined in 2011, were historic rivals in the Rocky Mountain region prior to 1962 when they suspended the series.
2011: CU Joins a Year Earlier Than Planned
In 2011, The University of Colorado Boulder announced it would join the conference a year earlier than previously announced, in the 2011–2012 academic year.
2011: Pac-12 moniker adopted
In 2011, the Pac-12 moniker was adopted with the addition of Colorado and Utah.
2011: Rivalry revived
With the two schools being placed in the same division for football starting in 2011, the rivalry was revived with their 58th meeting during the 2011 season.
August 15, 2012: Pac-12 Network Debuts
On August 15, 2012, the conference debuted the Pac-12 Network.
2012: Original Effective Year for CU
The University of Colorado Boulder initially scheduled to join the Pac-10 Conference, effective starting with the 2012–2013 academic year.
August 2014: Conference Headquarters Moved to San Francisco
The conference had been based in Walnut Creek since the late 1970s until August 2014. Since August 2014, the conference was headquartered in San Francisco, California.
December 2, 2015: All-Century Team Unveiled
On December 2, 2015, an All-Century Team was unveiled in honor of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the conference.
2017: Idaho was a member until 2017
Idaho rejoined FBS in 1996 and was a member until 2017.
2017: Washington wins 500th NCAA championship
In 2017, Washington's national title in women's rowing marked the 500th NCAA championship won by a Pac-12 school.
2017: OlympStats Study
In a 2017 study by OlympStats, Stanford led all schools with 289 athletes, 408 games, and 282 total medals won.
August 24, 2021: Pac-12, ACC, and Big Ten Announce "Historic Alliance"
On August 24, 2021, the Pac-12, ACC, and Big Ten announced the formation of a "historic alliance".
2021: Institutional Reporting to the United States Department of Education
Institutional reporting to the United States Department of Education as shown on the DOE Equity in Athletics website for the 2021–22 academic year.
2021: Revenue from NCAA/Conference Distributions, Media Rights, and Post-Season Football
Revenue specifically from NCAA / Conference Distributions, Media Rights, and Post-Season Football reported by the Knight Commission for the 2021–22 academic year.
May 18, 2022: Pac-12 Eliminates Divisions
On May 18, 2022, the Pac-12 announced that it would eliminate its divisions for the 2022 football season and beyond, with the championship game instead featuring the two Pac-12 teams with the highest winning percentage.
June 30, 2022: UCLA and USC Announce Departure for Big Ten
On June 30, 2022, UCLA and USC announced their departure for the Big Ten Conference beginning in the 2024–25 academic year.
2022: Salaries based on 2022-23 academic year
Salaries based on 2022–23 academic year.
2022: Rivalries
The most frequently played rivalries in the conference are between Oregon and Oregon State (126 meetings through 2022) and Big Game between Stanford and California (125 meetings).
June 2023: Conference Moves to Remote Work
The conference was headquartered in San Francisco, California, with the conference moving to working remotely once the lease expires in June 2023.
June 30, 2023: San Diego State Rescinds Notice of Intention to Leave Mountain West
Without an incoming offer before a June 30, 2023, deadline, San Diego State had to rescind its notice of intention to leave the Mountain West.
July 21, 2023: Pac-12 Media Days
At the start of Pac-12 Media Days on July 21, 2023, Commissioner Kliavkoff was asked about the status of the media rights deal and conference expansion, deflecting most questions on the matter.
July 27, 2023: Colorado Announces Return to Big 12
Less than a week later on July 27, 2023, Colorado announced it would return to the Big 12 as of the 2024–25 school year.
August 4, 2023: Oregon and Washington Announce Big Ten Departure
On August 4, 2023, Oregon and Washington declared their decision to leave the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten conference for the 2024 season.
September 1, 2023: California and Stanford to ACC
On September 1, 2023, California and Stanford announced their departure for the Atlantic Coast Conference starting in 2024.
September 8, 2023: Lawsuit Filed by Oregon State and Washington State
On September 8, 2023, Oregon State and Washington State filed a lawsuit against the Pac-12 and Commissioner George Kliavkoff for control of the conference and its assets.
September 2023: Pac-12 Expected to Operate as Two-Member Conference
In September 2023, Yahoo! Sports reported the Pac-12 is expected to operate as a two-member conference at least for [2024–25].
November 14, 2023: Court Rules in Favor of Oregon State and Washington State
On November 14, 2023, Judge Gary Libey ruled in favor of Oregon State and Washington State, granting them control of the Pac-12's assets.
November 28, 2023: Emergency Motion Granted to UW
On November 28, 2023, a Washington Supreme Court commissioner granted UW's motion to keep the two schools from gaining full control of the conference for the 2023–24 academic year.
December 5, 2023: Oregon State and Washington State Announce Football Alliance
On December 5, 2023, Oregon State and Washington State announced a football alliance with the Mountain West Conference for the 2024 season.
December 15, 2023: Oregon State and Washington State Gain Sole Control of Pac-12
On December 15, 2023, the Washington State Supreme Court overturned the previous motion, giving Oregon State and Washington State sole control of the Pac-12.
2023: Pac-12 Schools Win 15 Division I National Titles
As of 2023, Pac-12 schools have won 15 Division I national titles. This was tied with the Atlantic Coast Conference for the most of any conference.
2023: Bowl Game Selection Order
As of the 2023 college football season, the following is the selection order of bowl games with Pac-12 tie-ins.
2023: "Pac-2 Championship Game"
During the 2023 football season, the game between Oregon State and Washington State was jokingly dubbed the "Pac-2 Championship Game" by fans.
August 2, 2024: Ten members depart from the conference
On August 2, 2024, 10 of the 12 members departed from the conference. The Pac-12 is operating as a two-team conference.
September 12, 2024: Conference announces adding four new members
On September 12, 2024, the conference announced it would be adding four new members, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State, on July 1, 2026.
September 23, 2024: Utah State accepts offer to join the league
On September 23, 2024, Utah State accepted an offer to join the league as its seventh member.
September 30, 2024: Gonzaga joins as a full member
On September 30, 2024, the conference announced that Gonzaga, a non-football college, would be joining as a full member.
2024: Colorado's Return to the Big 12
Colorado announced it would return to the Big 12 as of the 2024–25 school year.
2024: Departure of Ten Schools
In 2024, 10 of the Pac-12's 12 schools left the conference.
2024: Oregon State and Washington State Football Alliance
In 2024, Oregon State and Washington State will enter into a football alliance with the Mountain West Conference.
2024: Teams Departing for Other Conferences
In 2024, Oregon and Washington will join the Big Ten, while Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah will join the Big 12, and California and Stanford will join the ACC.
2024: Two-member conference
In 2024, the Pac-12 is "expected to operate as a two-member conference at least for [2024–25]".
2024: Pac-12 Name and Branding Continues
In 2024, the conference continued using the Pac-12 name and branding for at least the 2024–25 academic year.
2024: UCLA and USC Begin Competition in the Big Ten
UCLA and USC announced their departure for the Big Ten Conference beginning in the 2024–25 academic year.
July 1, 2026: Addition of New Members Set for July 1, 2026
Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State set to join the conference on July 1, 2026.
2026: Pac-12 Expansion to Eight Members
In 2026, the Pac-12 will expand to eight members with the addition of five schools from the Mountain West Conference and one from the West Coast Conference.
2026: Conference expands beyond eight confirmed members
Member-by-member sponsorship of the 13 women's Pac-12 sports. It has not been announced which sports will be sponsored by the Pac-12 when the conference expands beyond the eight confirmed members in 2026–27.
2026: Partnerships expected to end
The partnerships between Oregon State/Washington State and the Mountain West Conference and West Coast Conference are expected to last from the fall of 2024 to the spring of 2026.
2026: End of NCAA grace period
Until 2026, the Pac-12 would be recognized under a two-year grace period, to meet conference requirements in the NCAA bylaws.
