Rebuilt Pac-12 opens conference football play with new media deal on display
The restructured Pac-12 Conference launched its first week of conference football play on Saturday, three years after the original league collapsed amid a wave of departures to the Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC. The conference now counts eight full-time FBS football members — anchored by Oregon State and Washington State, who fought to preserve the brand — after adding five Mountain West programs and Texas State. The league's new media rights arrangement features CBS Sports as its primary network, alongside The CW and the USA Network, with games produced in part by the conference's own production arm, Pac-12 Enterprises; the full financial value of the deal has not been disclosed. Legal disputes with the Mountain West over exit fees and contracts were resolved this past summer, according to the report.
The Pac-12's demise technically began in 2022, when UCLA and USC announced a stunning decision to join the Big Ten.
Why it matters
For coaches: Coaches at member programs are recruiting and competing within a conference whose long-term stability and playoff access are still being established.
For media: CBS Sports, The CW, and the USA Network each carry a portion of Pac-12 games, making this a meaningful test for the league's new broadcast relationships.
For athletes: College football players at Pac-12 member schools now compete in a conference with a defined media platform and a path to the College Football Playoff's guaranteed non-Power 4 bid.
Read the full story at Front Office Sports
Sources
- Front Office Sports · Amanda Christovich: New-Look Pac-12 Returns for First Week of Conference Play
- Yahoo Sports college football: New-Look Pac-12 Returns for First Week of Conference Play