Remember the Pac-12? Yeah, we do too. Do you miss it? Well, with Oregon’s cross-sport successes in the Big Ten Conference, maybe you don’t. But, for old time’s sake, let’s take a look at how the “Conference of Champions” would have shaped out if its former teams hadn’t been scattered in the messy conference divorce.
Leading the Pac — UCLA, Arizona, Oregon and Stanford
Three of these should be no big surprise. The Wildcats, Ducks and Bruins were staples of the Pac-12’s top teams over the past decade. Frankly, it may have been more surprising to see a major falloff from any of those recent powerhouses.
The shocker comes from Stanford. With the Atlantic Coast Conference often considered to be one of college basketball’s best, the Cardinal’s solid season that saw them in the top half of the ACC standings speaks volumes to the job that Stanford head coach Kyle Smith has done in his first year at the helm.
Had we been gifted with a Pac-12 Tournament this season, it’s entirely possible that these would have been our final four teams. Alas, at least three of them will likely make the National Tournament, bringing delight and rooting interest from West Coast fans.
Middle of the road — Oregon State, Washington State, Cal and Utah
These four squads all found themselves around the midway point of their respective conference standings. After joining the West Coast Conference (at least, for basketball), the Beavers and Cougars claimed the fifth and sixth seeds in the WCC Tournament. Utah’s first year in the Big 12 Conference wasn’t one to dwell much on in either direction and Cal — while not terrible — wasn’t able to quite muster Stanford’s success in the ACC.
Maybe, the new travel was harder on teams than expected. Maybe, they had to adjust to new styles of play against new competition. Or, perhaps most likely, those four squads just weren’t that good in 2025. In a Pac-12 Tournament, maybe one of these teams could have made some noise, but it’s more likely that they’d have faced quick exits in Vegas.
In the basement — Washington, USC, Colorado, Arizona State
There were certainly some surprises here. It’s rare to see the Trojans struggle like they did this year, the Buffaloes were in the Pac-12 Title Game just a season ago and a road game in Tempe would often spell disaster for any team.
Not this year! These teams struggled mightily in 2025. Washington and USC failed to make the Big Ten Tournament while the Buffaloes and Sun Devils claimed the bottom two spots in the 16-team Big 12 standings. Disastrous seasons from what used to be formidable foes on the West Coast may have fans reminiscent of the Pac-12.
Had these four teams made a hypothetical Pac-12 Tournament, their opponents may have been able to consider the Buffs, Devils, Trojans and Huskies a first-round bye.
Maybe, someday, the best teams on the West Coast will reconcile and be in the same conference. Until then, all we have are hypotheticals and memories.
