The Pacific-12 Conference as we know it today—you know, the Conference of (real NCAA) Champions—enters its seemingly final year of college football. The league’s origins go back to the Pacific Coast Conference in 1916, and overall 14 schools have been a part of the grouping over the last 106-plus years. Obviously that means the current 12 teams, plus (oddly enough) Idaho and Montana from the early days.

Most of this is predictable, but let’s rank the schools in terms of football prowess while in the league:

14. Montana (23 seasons, 1924-1949)

The Grizzlies seem out of place now, and they were out of place then, too. Montana won just 9 conference games in its history as part of the PCC—while losing 78 games and tying 3 times. The Grizz never won the league title, never played in a bowl game, and never were ranked in the Associated Press poll, either. Overall, though, Montana posted an 84-109-9 record as a conference member, so it cleaned up elsewhere.

13. Idaho (35 seasons, 1922-1958)

With a 30-122-5 conference record, the Vandals didn’t do much better than the Grizzlies, as they also never won the championship, never played in a bowl game as a member of the conference, and never got ranked. And with an overall .391 winning percentage during the 35 seasons in the PCC, Idaho finished second-to-last in that category for these 14 schools. The Vandals did better later in the century in smaller conferences.

12. Colorado (12 seasons, 2011-2022)

In all honesty, it never made sense for the Buffaloes to leave the Big XII for the Pac-12. Colorado holds the record for the worst football record while a part of the conference: 48-94. We know the Buffaloes did decently in the Big 8/Big XII era, so maybe they will find success there again. But in 12 seasons with the Conference of Champions, Colorado played in just 2 bowl games and finished AP ranked just once (2016).

11. Oregon State (100 seasons, 1916-2022)

The Beavers are charter members here, but they’re going to end up in the Mountain West Conference—because they’ve never been a huge football power. However, with 5 conference titles and a 9-7 record in bowl games, Oregon State has had its moments over the years. Yet an overall 456-563-35 record doesn’t “wow” anyone. For the record, the Beavers have finished in the AP poll 11 times, with a high in 2000 (No. 4).

10. Washington State (100 season, 1917-2022)

Also MWC bound are the Cougars, thanks to the smallest stadium/fan base in the conference—despite the near-original status. WSU has a 481-526-37 record as a member of the league, with a 7-10 bowl record. Over the decades, the Cougs have won just 4 conference titles while finishing in the AP poll 12 times total. Twice they finished in the Top 10 at No. 9, in both 1997 and 2003 after losing the Rose Bowl each time. Cougin’ it!

9. Arizona (45 seasons, 1978-2022)

The Wildcats never made it to a Rose Bowl in all their time in the conference, which is pretty nuts considering the 45 seasons of play and a winning record overall (267-253-8). Arizona won just one conference title, though, and finished ranked in the AP poll just six times (a high of No. 4 in 1998). The Wildcats’ bowl record of 9-8-1 is probably right where we would expect it to be. The Big XII awaits.

8. California (107 seasons, 1916-2022)

Everything moves in cycles, of course, so the Golden Bears are far from the “worst” football program in the current conference membership. Cal has won 13 conference titles and finished the year in the AP Poll a total of 14 times. The 589-536-31 record is pretty solid, as well. The Golden Bears also have a winning bowl record (12-11-1). So, why isn’t this a desired football add to a conference like the B1G or the Big XII? Good question.

7. Oregon (100 seasons, 1916-2022)

Most people forget the Ducks were kind of a nothingburger in football until the 1994 season. Overall, until then, Oregon had just 9 bowl appearances. But with 13 conference titles now and 19 AP poll finishes, the Ducks have become a powerhouse, thanks to Phil Knight, Nike support, and a boatload of rabid fans who never even went to college. Oregon’s overall marks (582-450-32, 15 bowl victories) are valuable to the B1G.

6. Stanford (102 seasons, 1918-2022)

See comments above for Cal, and then add some spice for the Cardinal. Stanford has 20 AP finishes, 14 conference titles, and a 15-13-1 bowl record to go along with its overall 593-470-34 mark. From 2010-2015, the Cardinal played in five BCS/CFP bowl games, even though the team has fallen on tougher times lately. Stanford has won just 14 games in the last 4 seasons combined and now has to break in a new coach.

5. Arizona State (45 seasons, 1978-2022)

The Sun Devils were a coup for the Big XII, for sure. The school’s .571 winning percentage in the conference is fifth best all time as well. ASU has only 3 conference titles in its Pac-12 history, but the team has 23 bowl appearances (10-13) and 10 AP poll finishes. The Sun Devils finished No. 4 twice (1986, 1996) and No. 6 another time (1982). Arizona State will also be breaking in a new coach this year, yet the program is solid.

4. Washington (106 seasons, 1916-2022)

The Huskies have a .597 winning percentage as a member of the conference, but that includes just 19-19-1 bowl record. With 19 conference titles, though, Washington is No. 2 in the conference overall. The Huskies had a 10-year bowl streak end during the Covid season, as well as missing the postseason after the poor 2021 year. However, Washington rebounded with a 26th AP poll finish, so the Huskies are back, baby.

3. Utah (12 seasons, 2011-2022)

Yes, this may seem high for a short timer, but the Utes have been a strong conference team in those dozen seasons. The .640 winning percentage is second overall in conference history, and in half of those 12 seasons, Utah finished ranked in the AP poll. The Utes won their first conference title in 2022, and they have 9 bowl appearances since moving up from the MWC in 2011. They’ve been a fine addition to the league.

2. UCLA (95 seasons, 1928-2022)

One of the crown jewels of Pac-12 football, the Bruins actually been underwhelming lately. The last major bowl UCLA played in was the 1999 Rose Bowl; overall, though, the team has 17 conference titles, 32 finishes in the AP poll, and 37 bowl appearances (16 victories). The .580 conference-play winning percentage is second best in league history, however, and UCLA should benefit from the move to the B1G with USC.

1. USC (101 seasons, 1922-2022)

No surprise here: The Trojans own 39 league championships, more than twice the number as the next-best team. USC has finished in the AP poll a whopping 51 times as well, to go along with 35 bowl victories in 56 appearances. The school’s .701 winning percentage is tops in the conference, as is the .711 winning percentage in league play. The B1G just brought in another monster to add to its stable of thoroughbreds.