The Pac-12 Conference has provided football fans with myriad thrills over the decades, but alas, the party is over.
The Conference of Champions staged its last football game Friday night, and it didn’t disappoint with a rollicking contest that lived up to the hype with Washington edging Oregon, 34–31, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The game provided an exclamation point to more than a century of gridiron excellence from a league that gave us luminaries such as Marcus Allen, John Elway, Troy Aikman, Marcus Mariota, Caleb Williams and so many other greats.
The Pac-12 was founded in 1915 as the Pacific Coast conference with four members: Cal, Washington, Oregon and Oregon Agricultural College (now Oregon State). USC, UCLA, Stanford and Washington State would join over the ensuing years, and the league became the Pac-8 in 1968. The admission of Arizona and Arizona State in 1978 created the Pac-10. Colorado and Utah joined in 2011 to usher in the Pac-12 era.
Moving forward, the league is splintering in several directions, with the Trojans, Bruins, Huskies and Ducks set to join the Big Ten; the Wildcats, Sun Devils, Buffaloes and Utes headed to the Big 12; the Golden Bears and Cardinal moving to the ACC; and the Beavers and Cougars forming an alliance with the Mountain West.
Now, Pac-12 football is a mere memory. There’s no more Pac-12 After Dark.
With that in mind, fans and pundits poured one out in a virtual sense on social media Friday night. Here are some of the best reactions:
RIP Pac-12 pic.twitter.com/sfn5WyHCbd
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) December 2, 2023
it is so stupid the pac-12 is finished. not a soul on earth wanted this to happen except like six people who work at espn and fox.
— Matt Hinton (@MattRHinton) December 2, 2023
All the PAC12 mascots are in the corner cheering on ever play… and it’s just really sinking in, this is over. The PAC12 is over after this.
— Martina Del Bonta (@MartinaDelBonta) December 2, 2023
I’m glad they’re all here. pic.twitter.com/P7IEQrSRnJ
The Pac 12 no longer exists. We’ll never know who would win a mascot fight, although Mike Leach handicapped it well pic.twitter.com/391MOG3HLw
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) December 2, 2023
Green Day’s “Time of Your Life” is playing as the (literal) credits roll on Pac-12 football. Bittersweet. pic.twitter.com/hAvBWQ2K7b
— Matt Fortuna (@Matt_Fortuna) December 2, 2023
Pac 12… we’re gonna miss you buddy. Except your refs, they were the worst. pic.twitter.com/xFwFI6ICjZ
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 2, 2023
“We’ve seen some excellent officiating from the PAC-12 this year” - ESPN pic.twitter.com/blixJF5V6i
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) December 2, 2023
ESPN saying goodbye to the PAC 12 like pic.twitter.com/C8mWHiXpAV
— CFBTalkDaily (@CFBTalkDaily) December 2, 2023
The Pac-12 aired its own obituary: pic.twitter.com/2MSpWvIDos
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) November 26, 2023
The last Pac-12 champs pic.twitter.com/T9DmAeGZuR
— Mike Vorel (@mikevorel) December 2, 2023
goodbye old friend @pac12 pic.twitter.com/fMxT8YIlGG
— no context college football (@nocontextcfb) December 2, 2023
