Pac-12 Rebuild Targets “Top-Five” Status With New Membership

In June, Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould announced that the conference has reconstituted itself with eight football-playing schools: the two remaining original members Oregon State and Washington State, plus five former Mountain West programs—Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Utah State—and Texas State from the Sun Belt. The league now operates from a modest office in San Ramon, California, at roughly 12 % of its former downtown rent. Gould framed the move as a deliberate effort to preserve the Pac-12 brand while creating a “new league” that can compete for College Football Playoff (CFP) access.

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The Pac-12’s prior incarnation collapsed after a wave of realignment that saw most historic members depart for the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC and SEC. Gould assumed the commissioner role in March 2024 and spent two years guiding the conference through staff reductions and asset preservation. The rebuilt league positions itself as a “100-year-old startup,” seeking to maintain brand equity while establishing fresh traditions.

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• Combined five-year winning percentage of the eight football programs: .537, which the conference says would rank fourth nationally behind the SEC, Big Ten and Big 12.

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• Six of the eight programs posted at least a .500 record over that span and have each appeared in the Associated Press Top 25 at least once.

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• Five teams earned spots in the CFP rankings during the same period.

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• Advanced metrics (ESPN’s FPI, SP+, SportSource Analytics) place the collective membership within the top five nationally.

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Gould emphasized that the influx of interest from prospective schools was “overwhelming” and reinforced the belief that the Pac-12 brand remains “really, really relevant.” Athletic director Jon Haarlow of Washington State highlighted that the conference’s flexibility—such as arranging “flex-week” matchups in the final week of the season—aims to protect CFP positioning and bowl eligibility.

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• “I was able to face those incredible humans that raised their hand and stuck in there with me and thanked them and acknowledged that it's because of them that we got to this place,” — Teresa Gould, Pac-12 commissioner

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• “We certainly expect to be in the CFP conversation and have access to that kind of non-A4 spot year in and year out,” — Teresa Gould, Pac-12 commissioner

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• “I think about it every day,” — Jon Haarlow, state athletic director

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By branding itself as the “fifth” major conference, the Pac-12 hopes to attract recruits, fans and media partners who value national relevance. Scheduling non-conference-styled games in the season’s closing week is intended to boost strength-of-schedule metrics, a key factor in CFP selection. Consistently fielding teams that rank in the top five of national performance metrics could keep the conference in regular CFP conversation despite the limited “non-A4” playoff spot.

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The Pac-12 plans to retain recognizable elements of its legacy—such as the “Pac-12 After Dark” branding and a redesigned shield logo—while allowing its new members to build their own conference history. Success will be measured by translating the assembled metrics into CFP berths and sustained revenue growth.

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