If you haven’t been keeping up with college football, the Pac-12 conference has been reduced to Pac-2. All but two teams have moved on to other conferences. If your players are fans of the conference or love to watch and bet on particular teams, here’s a breakdown of what happened and where to find your favorite Pac-12 teams.
What Happened to the Pac-12 Teams?
The teams that are moving on are:
- USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington – to the Big 10
- Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah – to the Big 12
- Cal and Stanford – to the ACC
But what caused the sudden departure of all those teams? In short, media contracts. While other Power 5 conferences scored massive media deals, the Pac-12 was floundering in its negotiations. Essentially, the schools saw the other Power Conference schools making a lot of money and wanted to be part of that, so they moved on.
If you want to continue following those teams, here’s an update on where they’ve gone and what they can expect this year.
Big Ten
Four schools have moved to the B1G conference, including USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington.
UCLA – 5.5 wins
The Bruins have a grueling schedule. They travel considerably, including to Hawaii, Penn State, LSU, Nebraska, and Washington. In addition, they lost most of their coaching staff and their defense.
Washington – 7 wins
There are so many changes to this team that made it all the way to the title game that it’s hard to estimate how well they will do in the Big Ten. They’re almost like a new team. Is there enough experience and confidence to hit ten wins, or are they so new with the move to a different conference that they only win three?
USC – 7.5 wins
This school is a big plus for the Big Ten even though it hasn’t measured up to its former glory. Coach Lincoln Riley no longer has Caleb Williams or any other superstars, but he will have a great offense this year. His defense is still questionable, but there are possibilities with him in charge. Their schedule keeps them in the Pacific time zone the entire season, and their last four games will all be in LA, which can help them finish the year well.
Oregon – 10.5 wins
The Ducks are a team full of talent that should perform well in the B1G. Last year, they racked up 531.4 ypg and 44.2 ppg. They lost a lot of their top players in the draft but have done a great job bringing in more high-level talent, including quarterback Dillon Gabriel from Oklahoma and wide receiver Evan Stewart from Texas A&M. How well they do in the Big Ten will probably depend on how good the defense is this year.
Big 12
Four schools have moved to the Big 12 conference, including Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah.
Arizona State – 4.5 wins
Under new coach Kenny Dillingham, the Sun Devils had a rocky season last year due to injuries and transfers. The injuries are healed, and Dillingham has a better handle on the transfers. This won’t make them a top team, but it will improve their play.
Colorado – 5.5 wins
Controversial coach Deion Sanders couldn’t keep the hype going, as the team ended the season with a 4-8 record. Still, that’s three more wins than the previous season, when they went 1-11. They were the second worst in the nation in terms of sacks allowed, making it difficult for quarterback Shedeur Sanders. He still managed to throw for 3,230 yards, 27 touchdowns, and only three picks. If he can get some protection, he might be able to show how good he really is.
Arizona – 9.5 wins
They have steadily climbed since going winless in 2020 and bringing on head coach Jedd Fisch. Last season, they won ten games, plus their first bowl game since 2015. Unfortunately, Fisch has moved to Washington. Unless new coach Brent Brennan is a dud, the Wildcats should rank in the top five of the Big 12. They’ve kept their powerhouse duo of quarterback Noah Fifita and wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan.
Utah – 11 wins
Assuming dual-threat quarterback Cameron Rising and All-American tight end Brant Kuithe can stay healthy, they will lead a solid offensive attack. The defense will continue to keep the opponents’ points off the board. This is arguably the best team in the conference and should play in the championship.
ACC
Two schools have moved to the ACC conference, including Cal and Stanford.
Stanford – 3 wins
The Cardinals’ debut in the ACC comes with one of the most demanding schedules. They play Clemson, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, and SMU in a four-game stretch, and then NC State and Louisville after a one-game reprieve against Wake Forest.
They only posted three wins last season and aren’t expected to do any better this year.
Cal – 6 wins
Expect a break-even year from the Bears as their schedule starts tough and then improves part-way through the season. They were a roller-coaster ride last year, winning big and losing big. They needed to win the last four games to bowl, which they did and then lost to Texas Tech by 20 points. Hopefully, head coach Justin Wilcox can calm the waters on this team and get some consistency going. Otherwise, they’re hard to bet on.
Who’s Left in the Pac-12?
The Pac-12 was one of the Power Five conferences, but now that it is reduced to only two schools, we are left with only the Power Four. According to NCAA bylaws, a conference must have a minimum of eight schools. However, they have a two-year grace period to return to that minimum. The two remaining schools, Washington State and Oregon State plan to align with another power conference while trying to build back the Pac-12 power conference. Early reports show they are working out a scheduling agreement with the Mountain West conference.
What are the odds that the Pac-12 will build back?
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