In the not-so-distant past it appeared that the Pac-12 football season was dead in the water. Due to legitimate virus concerns and an initial unwillingness to put conference community members at risk, the season was in jeopardy until plans were announced to launch a shortened schedule.
Pressured by participation from fellow Power-5 conferences, the Pac-12 set a season in motion that had little chance of success from day one. Shortened training camps, notable opt-outs, a general lack of preparedness and no assurance of safety for participants set the conference up for detrimental issues prior to the first kick-off.
In recent years, the Pac-12’s national reputation, in relation to football, has struggled to mirror those of its fellow Power-5 conferences. A distinct lack of national championships and playoff appearances coupled with a tendency for self-implosion within the conference leaves the athletic coalition behind the likes of the SEC and BIG-10. On top of this, the officiating in the conference is under severe scrutiny and likely influenced the outcomes of key games throughout the season. From errant spots to blatant miscalls, officiating is damaging the relevance of the Pac-12.
For the Oregon football program, COVID-19 related opt-outs created the youngest college football team in the nation. While the program has an incredibly bright future, the 2020 season was marred by uncharacteristic losses to both Oregon State and Cal. Despite a 3-2 regular season record, Oregon was placed in the Pac-12 Championship game due to COVID-19 case spikes within the Washington football program. At the time, USC owned the only undefeated record in the conference, yet was not considered to be a playoff candidate unlike fellow short-season team Ohio State. Oregon’s victory in the championship game further solidified the Ducks as conference kings, but once again highlighted the lack of dominance and tendency for Pac-12 implosion. The conference has not produced a playoff victory since Oregon’s win over Florida State in 2014, furthering the separation between the league and its counterparts.
The 2020-21 college football season likely should have never taken place to begin with. If the Pac-12 truly valued the health and safety of unpaid players and potentially vulnerable personnel, a contact-sport would not have been played during a viral pandemic. The national championship game between the University of Alabama and Ohio State University is currently in jeopardy of being postponed due to COVID-19, which has impacted every program in the country throughout the season. But, too much money is at stake to forgo a college football season, creating the mess of varying schedules, mass outbreaks and the giant asterisk that will forever be associated with this season that only worsened the reputation of the Pac-12.
Potential off-field revenue in the form of a new TV deal is quickly evaporating with sub-par on-field collective performances. Oregon has been the gem of the conference since the start of the 2010s, but the overall reputation of the Pac-12 currently hangs in the balance. Prior to the last TV contract, the season ended with multiple teams in the AP top-5 and featured Oregon in the national championship game. The Pac-12 is worse off in terms of national reputation than ever before and must take strides to save itself in 2021 and beyond.
