Pacific-12 Conference

Pacific-12 Conference
Name	Pacific-12 Conference
Established	1915 (as Pacific Coast Conference)
Association	NCAA
Division	Division I (FBS)
Members	12
Headquarters	San Francisco, California
Commissioner	Larry Scott
Region	Western United States

Pacific-12 Conference. The Pacific-12 Conference, branded as Pac-12, is a collegiate athletic conference that operates in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. Founded in 1915 as the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC), its membership has evolved to include twelve prominent research universities, making it one of the most successful conferences in collegiate sports history, often dubbed the "Conference of Champions."

History

The conference's origins trace to a December 1915 meeting in Portland, Oregon, where representatives from the University of California, the University of Washington, the University of Oregon, and Oregon State University formed the Pacific Coast Conference. The league expanded to include Stanford University and later the University of Southern California. Following scandals and disputes, the PCC dissolved in 1959, leading to the formation of the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU), which was renamed the Pacific-8 Conference in 1968. Expansion brought in the University of Arizona and Arizona State University in 1978, creating the Pacific-10 Conference. The 2011 addition of the University of Colorado and the University of Utah established the current twelve-member league, rebranded as the Pac-12. Key historical figures in its governance have included commissioners like Thomas J. Hamilton and Larry Scott.

Member institutions

The conference comprises twelve member institutions, all of which are leading public and private research universities. The current membership is divided into North and South divisions for football. The North Division includes the University of California, Berkeley (California Golden Bears), the University of Oregon (Oregon Ducks), Oregon State University (Oregon State Beavers), Stanford University (Stanford Cardinal), the University of Washington (Washington Huskies), and Washington State University (Washington State Cougars). The South Division consists of the University of Arizona (Arizona Wildcats), Arizona State University (Arizona State Sun Devils), the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA Bruins), the University of Colorado (Colorado Buffaloes), the University of Southern California (USC Trojans), and the University of Utah (Utah Utes). Each institution is a member of the Association of American Universities.

Sports sponsored

The Pac-12 sponsors championship competition in 24 sports, 12 for men and 12 for women. Men's sponsored sports include football, basketball, baseball, cross country, golf, rowing, soccer, swimming & diving, tennis, track and field, volleyball, and wrestling. Women's sponsored sports include basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, gymnastics, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming & diving, tennis, track and field, and volleyball. The conference is renowned for its dominance in non-revenue sports, particularly women's sports and Olympic sports, having won more NCAA national championships than any other conference.

Conference champions

The conference crowns champions in each sponsored sport, with the football champion earning the right to represent the Pac-12 in the Rose Bowl as part of its historic agreement with the Big Ten Conference. In football, recent champions include the University of Oregon and the University of Washington. In men's basketball, programs like the University of Arizona, UCLA, and the University of Oregon have frequently won the conference tournament. The conference's overall success is highlighted by its numerous team and individual national titles, particularly in sports like women's volleyball, where Stanford University has been a perennial power, and baseball, where programs like Oregon State University and the University of Arizona have won the College World Series.

Facilities

Member institutions boast some of the most iconic and historic venues in collegiate athletics. These include Rose Bowl Stadium (UCLA football), Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (USC football), Husky Stadium (Washington football), and Autzen Stadium (Oregon football). Notable basketball arenas are the McKale Center (Arizona) and Pauley Pavilion (UCLA). The conference also operates the Pac-12 Network, a collection of television networks with production facilities and studios in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Other significant facilities include Sun Devil Stadium (Arizona State), Folsom Field (Colorado), and Maples Pavilion (Stanford).

Media coverage

The conference's media rights are held by a combination of broadcast partners. Major television agreements include long-standing partnerships with ESPN and Fox Sports for football and men's basketball. The Pac-12 Network, launched in 2012 under Commissioner Larry Scott, is a wholly-owned entity that provides extensive coverage of Olympic sports and events not carried by national partners. Key broadcast events include the Pac-12 Football Championship Game and the Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament, which are often televised on Fox or ESPN. The conference also has radio partnerships and digital distribution agreements through platforms like Pac-12.com and Pac-12 Now.

Category:NCAA Division I conferences Category:Sports leagues in the United States Category:Sports organizations in California