History of Pac-12 Conference in Timeline

The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States that participates in NCAA Division I, with its football teams in the FBS. Currently, it comprises only two members: Oregon State University and Washington State University.

December 2, 1915: Pacific Coast Conference Founded

On December 2, 1915, the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) was founded at the Imperial Hotel in Portland, Oregon, during the annual meeting of the Northwest Conference schools.

1916: PCC Begins Play

In 1916, the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) officially began play.

1918: Stanford Joins the League

In 1918, Stanford University joined the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC).

1922: PCC Expands to Eight Teams

In 1922, USC and Idaho were admitted, expanding the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) to eight teams.

1924: Montana Joins the Conference

In 1924, Montana joined the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC).

1924: Pac-12 School Leads Summer Olympic Games - Since 1924

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: UCLA Admitted to PCC

In 1928, UCLA was admitted to the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC), bringing the total membership to 10 teams.

1939: Oregon Won First NCAA Tournament

In 1939, Oregon won the first NCAA tournament.

1942: Stanford won the NCAA Championship

In 1942 Stanford won the NCAA Championship

1944: Utah won the NCAA Championship

In 1944 Utah won the NCAA Championship

1947: 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.

1950: Montana Departs

In 1950, Montana left the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) to join the Mountain States Conference.

August 1958: Agreement to Form New Conference

In August 1958, California, USC, UCLA, and Washington agreed to form a new conference, effective the following summer, in response to scandals within the PCC.

June 1959: PCC Disbands

In June 1959, the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) disbanded following "pay-for-play" scandals at several member schools.

June 1959: PCC Continues as Nine-Team League

The Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) continued as a nine-team league through June 1959.

July 1, 1959: AAWU Launched

On July 1, 1959, the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU) was launched with California, UCLA, USC, and Washington as charter members.

1959: California won the NCAA Championship

In 1959 California won the NCAA Championship

1959: AAWU Founding

In 1959, the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU) was founded by the principal members of the disbanded Pacific Coast Conference (PCC).

1960: Conference Known as Big Five

From 1960 to 1962, the conference was popularly known as the Big Five.

1962: Conference Known as Big Six

In 1962, after Washington State joined, the conference became informally known as the Big Six.

1963: Idaho and the Big Sky Conference

In 1963, Idaho, who was not invited to join the AAWU, became independent until the formation of the Big Sky Conference.

1964: Oregon and Oregon State Join

In the summer of 1964, Oregon and Oregon State joined the AAWU, leading to the conference being unofficially known as the Pacific Athletic Conference and then the Pacific-8.

1965: Idaho's Football Independence

Idaho remained independent in football until 1965.

1968: AAWU Renamed Pacific-8 Conference

In 1968, the AAWU formally renamed itself the Pacific-8 Conference, or Pac-8 for short.

1973: NIT Participation Allowed

Participation in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) was not allowed until 1973 for basketball teams in the Pac-8.

1975: Second Bowl Team Allowed

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, the invitations to Arizona and Arizona State were extended.

May 1977: Expansion Formally Announced

In May 1977, the expansion to include Arizona and Arizona State was formally announced.

1978: Arizona and Arizona State Join

In 1978, Arizona and Arizona State joined from the Western Athletic Conference, becoming the Pacific-10 Conference or Pac-10.

1978: Previous Expansion

In 1978, Arizona and Arizona State joined the conference, marking the last expansion before the events leading up to 2011.

1986: Women's Athletics Sponsorship Begins

In 1986, the Pac-10 began sponsoring women's athletics.

1996: Formation of Big 12 Conference

In 1996, the University of Texas and other Southwest Conference schools merged with the Big Eight Conference to form the Big 12 Conference, while Colorado elected to remain in the newly formed Big 12 despite interest from the Pac-10.

1997: Arizona Won Most Recent National Title

In 1997, Arizona won the most recent national title.

1999: Utah Left WAC for Mountain West

In 1999, Utah left an expanded WAC to form the new Mountain West Conference.

July 2009: Larry Scott Takes Over

Larry Scott took over the conference in July 2009 and observed growing interest from the membership regarding the possibility of adding teams.

February 9, 2010: Expansion Window Open

On February 9, 2010, Commissioner Larry Scott announced that the window for expansion was open for the next year as the conference began negotiations for a new television deal.

June 10, 2010: Colorado Accepts Invitation

On June 10, 2010, the University of Colorado Boulder accepted an invitation to join the Pac-10 Conference, initially effective starting with the 2012–2013 academic year but later moved to the 2011–2012 academic year.

June 15, 2010: Big 12 Deal Reached

On June 15, 2010, a deal was reached between Texas and the Big 12 Conference to keep Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, and Oklahoma State in the Big 12, effectively ending the Pac-10's ambition to potentially become a sixteen-team conference.

June 2010: Consideration of Expansion Teams

In early June 2010, reports surfaced that the Pac-10 was considering adding up to six teams, including 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: Utah Accepts Invitation

On June 17, 2010, the University of Utah accepted an invitation to join the Pac-10 Conference, effective starting July 2011.

July 27, 2010: New Logo and Pac-12 Renaming Announced

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: Pac-10 Announces Divisions and Championship Game

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.

July 1, 2011: Colorado and Utah Officially Join

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 and Colorado Formally Joined

In July 2011 Utah and Colorado formally joined Pac-12, prompting the change in branding to Pac-12.

July 2011: Utah Joins Pac-10

In July 2011, the University of Utah officially joined the Pac-10 Conference.

2011: Potential Expansion

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: Conference members before 2011

Each of the ten schools that were conference members before 2011 has its own in-state, conference rivalry.

2011: Pac-12 Moniker Adopted

In 2011, the conference adopted the Pac-12 moniker with the addition of Colorado and Utah.

2011: Early Entry for Colorado

The University of Colorado Boulder joined the conference a year earlier than previously announced, in the 2011–2012 academic year.

August 15, 2012: Pac-12 Network Debuts

On August 15, 2012, the conference debuted the Pac-12 Network, becoming the third college sports conference to launch a dedicated network and the first to completely fund and own their own network outright.

2012: Initial Effective Year for Colorado Joining

The University of Colorado Boulder initially planned to join the Pac-10 Conference, effective starting with the 2012–2013 academic year.

2013: Initial Effective Year for Colorado Joining

The University of Colorado Boulder initially planned to join the Pac-10 Conference, effective starting with the 2012–2013 academic year.

August 2014: Conference Headquarters Move

In August 2014, the Pac-12 Conference headquarters moved to San Francisco, California, after being based in Walnut Creek since the late 1970s.

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.

July 1, 2016: Individual Titles through July 1, 2016

Individual titles are listed through July 1, 2016; Team titles are listed through June 10, 2024

2017: 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: OlympStat Study

In a 2017 study by OlympStats, USA Olympians and the medals they won were counted and sorted by their college affiliations.

August 24, 2021: Formation of Alliance

On August 24, 2021, the Pac-12, ACC, and Big Ten announced the formation of a "historic alliance" to address the future of college athletics and scheduling in response to Oklahoma and Texas planning to leave the Big 12 and join the SEC.

2021: Institutional Reporting to the United States Department of Education for 2021–22 Academic Year

Institutional reporting to the United States Department of Education for the 2021–22 academic year is shown on the DOE Equity in Athletics website.

2021: Revenue from NCAA/Conference Distributions, Media Rights, and Post-Season Football for 2021–22 Academic Year

The revenue specifically from NCAA / Conference Distributions, Media Rights, and Post-Season Football for the 2021–22 academic year is reported by the Knight Commission.

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 Departure Announcement

On June 30, 2022, UCLA and USC announced their departure for the Big Ten Conference beginning in the 2024–25 academic year, complicating media rights negotiations for the Pac-12.

2022: Salaries based on 2022–23 academic year

Salaries are based on 2022–23 academic year

2022: Oregon and Oregon State Rivalry - 126 Meetings Through 2022

The most frequently played rivalry in the conference is between Oregon and Oregon State (126 meetings through 2022).

June 2023: Move to Remote Work

In June 2023, the Pac-12 Conference moved to working remotely once the lease expired in San Francisco, California.

June 30, 2023: San Diego State Rescinds Departure Notice

On June 30, 2023, San Diego State had to rescind its notice of intention to leave the Mountain West Conference because the Pac-12 did not provide an offer before the deadline, after San Diego State sent the Mountain West Conference a letter notifying it of the school's impending departure.

July 21, 2023: Pac-12 Media Days Open

On July 21, 2023, at the start of Pac-12 Media Days, Commissioner Kliavkoff deflected questions about the media rights deal and conference expansion. Colorado president Rick George left Media Days early.

July 27, 2023: Colorado Announces Return to Big 12

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 Departure to Big Ten

On August 4, 2023, Oregon and Washington announced they would be following UCLA and USC to the Big Ten conference for the 2024 season. Later on that same day, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah announced that they would follow Colorado to the Big 12 Conference starting in 2024.

September 1, 2023: California and Stanford Announce Departure to ACC

On September 1, 2023, California and Stanford announced their departure for the Atlantic Coast Conference starting in 2024.

September 8, 2023: Oregon State and Washington State File Lawsuit

On September 8, 2023, Oregon State and Washington State filed a lawsuit against the Pac-12 and Commissioner George Kliavkoff in Washington State Superior Court for control of the conference and its assets.

September 2023: Report: Pac-12 Expected to Operate as Two-Member Conference

In September 2023, Yahoo! Sports reported that the Pac-12 is "expected to operate as a two-member conference at least for [2024–25]" and would be recognized under a two-year grace period, until 2026, to meet conference requirements in the NCAA bylaws.

November 14, 2023: Judge Rules in Favor of Oregon State and Washington State

On November 14, 2023, Judge Gary Libey of the Whitman County, Washington, Superior Court ruled in favor of Oregon State and Washington State in their lawsuit against the Pac-12.

November 28, 2023: Motion Granted to Keep Oregon State and Washington State From Gaining Full Control

On November 28, 2023, a Washington Supreme Court commissioner granted UW's motion to keep Oregon State and Washington State from gaining full control of the conference for the 2023–24 academic year.

December 5, 2023: Oregon State and Washington State Announce Football Alliance with Mountain West Conference

On December 5, 2023, Oregon State and Washington State announced that they had entered into a football alliance with the Mountain West Conference (MW) for the 2024 season. With the alliance, both programs will play three home games and three away games against MW opponents.

December 15, 2023: Washington State Supreme Court Overturns Motion

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 Have Won 15 Division I National Titles

As of 2023, Pac-12 schools have won 15 Division I national titles, tying with the Atlantic Coast Conference for the most of any conference.

2023: Bowl Game Selection Order as of 2023 Season

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" Dubbed by Fans

During the 2023 football season, the game between Oregon State and Washington State was jokingly dubbed the "Pac-2 Championship Game" by fans, due to the departure of other schools.

2023: List Details Through 2023 Season

The list in the document goes through the 2023 season.

June 10, 2024: Team Titles through June 10, 2024

Team titles are listed through the June 10, 2024; individual titles are listed through July 1, 2016

August 2, 2024: Mass Departure of Members

On August 2, 2024, 10 of the 12 members departed from the conference, leaving the Pac-12 operating as a two-team conference.

September 12, 2024: Addition of New Members Announced

On September 12, 2024, the conference announced it would be adding four new members: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State, effective July 1, 2026.

September 23, 2024: Utah State Accepts Offer to Join

On September 23, 2024, Utah State accepted an offer to join the Pac-12, becoming its seventh member.

September 30, 2024: Gonzaga to Join as Full Member

On September 30, 2024, the conference announced that Gonzaga, a non-football college, would be joining as a full member.

2024: Mass Exodus of Schools

In 2024, 10 of the 12 schools left the Pac-12, marking the first time a school had departed since its founding as the AAWU in 1959.

2024: Departure of UCLA and USC

UCLA and USC announced their departure for the Big Ten Conference beginning in the 2024–25 academic year

June 2025: Texas State Move Report

In June 2025, it was reported that Texas State will announce its move to the Pac-12 on June 30, 2025.

June 30, 2025: Possible Texas State Announcement

On June 30, 2025, Texas State may announce its move to the Pac-12, contingent on avoiding a doubling of their exit fee from the Sun Belt Conference.

2025: Pac-12 to operate as a two-team conference.

Through the 2025–26 academic year, the Pac-12 is operating as a two-team conference, sponsoring five sports—football, men's and women's track and field, women's gymnastics and men's wrestling.

July 1, 2026: New Members to Join the Conference

On July 1, 2026, Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State are scheduled to join the Pac-12 conference.

2026: Membership Requirements Deadline

If Oregon State and Washington State fail to meet membership requirements by July 1st, 2026, the conference will be disbanded.

2026: Pac-12 Expansion

In 2026, the Pac-12 is set to expand to eight members with the addition of five schools from the Mountain West Conference and one from the West Coast Conference.