This year I find myself missing the Pac-12 and all the chaos it brings. The B1G is just too top-heavy, and that’s the problem with super conferences; they generate a whole lot of mediocre games. The marquee match-ups have been great fun. Watching Oregon play Ohio State last year was one of the best games in Oregon’s history. The games ...

My BIG Struggle

Great article. I think you are experiencing what I felt when Florida had to travel to Missouri and Texas A&M for the first time a decade ago, as conference opponents. Except on a far larger scale. You jumped into a one hundred plus year old conference that was largely associated with midwestern universities. Yes getting to host Ohio State and Michigan are great.

You grew up knowing those are programs you'd love to see Oregon play. Rutgers and Maryland aren't even traditional B1G programs. They joined the league along with Nebraska in 2011 from the Big 12, ACC, and Big East (remember them?). Oregon at Rutgers is a game you would get if you and and buddy were playing on NCAA Football on whatever console you own, it would be one of those randomizer games you'd just let the CPU pick for you.

I think as the years go on, you will build up some feeling for going to Iowa or Minnesota, especially if they upset you. You already have a history with Wisconsin.

From experience, I can tell you that I'm starting to really dislike Missouri and Texas A&M in the same way I do South Carolina, and Ole Miss. It's taken a decade, but there's genuine feelings that weren't there before. Give it some time. It won't ever be like the old PAC Twelve, but that's because you grew up with that conference. Kids growing up today will grow up with new rivalries.

I am enjoying the escape from the confines of the Pacific Time Zone.

Great article. I feel the same way.

I realize that the PAC-12 was a “dead man walkin’” and that Oregon had to make a change to survive as a perennial national title contender. However, I don’t understand why the Pac (the only major conference West of the Rockies) could not survive. I miss playing at Stanford and at the Arizona schools (hopefully we can start scheduling these teams OOC). I still find myself rooting for our old PAC-12 conference foes (except for Oregon State or Colorado).

The ironic thing is, if the LA schools invested in and had more success on the football field, I believe that the TV money would have been there (perhaps not quite at the B1G or SEC levels but enough). Instead they took their underperforming program and the LA media market to the B1G for the payday. Now they are just part of the mediocre group that you mentioned in your article.

David, thank you for your thoughts and feelings on OBD's move to the BIG.

The PAC was truly unpredictable and at times crazy. However, this old Duck fan does not miss after dark in the desert! That trip was more than a speed bump for the Ducks.

With one loss in most seasons the Ducks would not be ranked #6. Pollsters are showing the Ducks respect because they earned it on the field in the BIG. They beat Michigan in the BIG house, split with tOSU, beat PSU twice and are in a conference with the $1 and #2 teams in the nation. RESPECT!

Last year tOSU and OBD's were #1 and #2 for most of the season. And the conference has won the last 2 Natty's and may get a threepeat this season. When was the last PAC team to win a Natty? Just usuck......

I will take that narrative over the fun and crazy of the PAC anytime. As you do, I find myself checking scores and flipping channels to watch parts of the many SEC games of the century every week. Very few BIG game match ups are compelling.

I think GAT is correct, it will take some time and we will develope rivalries. Can't wait for a rematch with IU or tOSU.

My biggest complaint is the travel miles. It is disproportionate for West Coast teams. First of all, the west teams should play each other every season to cut out 1 Saturday of time zone change. And rotate one season with 2 trips east then the next season with 3 east trips or add one or 2 teams out west. More BIG teams need to travel west.

Looking closely to see how well OBD's play down the stretch and into the CFP. This Ducks do multiple trips Back east during football season and, at least for me, jet lag recovery is real.

Go Ducks! Lets make some new rivalries with Iowa and Minnesota...

If the PAC had survived it would have turned into the ACC and played second fiddle to the B1G and SEC. One, or at the most two, teams would have made the CFP each year. One loss would perenially put OBD on the edge of elimination.

Now they at least get consideration for the playoffs even with two losses in the B1G. It certainly happens for the SEC and the ESPN/Finebaum honks that carry their water.

Maybe the evolution of NIL and player reimbursement would level the field amongst the 'haves', of which Oregon is a card carrying member. But witness that a two loss Miami is on CFP life support, and this year it looks like only the ACC champ is guaranteed a spot. Is there any reason to believe a reincarnated PAC would be any different?

Great article and I agree. I have no interest in watching Maryland vs Rutgers or Illinois vs Iowa. However, I would have absolutely sat down and watched two Pac-12 teams play each other, especially on Saturday night.

I really miss those Pac-12 after dark games. 7:30pm start after dinner and two teams that could impact the conference standings kicking it off and playing late into the night. Crack a beer and relax until bedtime.

Stanford at San Jose State at 7:30pm. No offense to SJSU, but gross. I’m not watching that.

54 minutes ago, EastBayDuckDad said:

If the PAC had survived it would have turned into the ACC and played second fiddle to the B1G and SEC. One, or at the most two, teams would have made the CFP each year. One loss would perenially put OBD on the edge of elimination.

Why couldn’t the PAC-12 have had a top heavy conference with national title contenders just like the B1G?

Oregon has more than held its own over the past 10+ years. Where has USC been since Pete Carroll left for the NFL? Why hasn’t Washington been consistently good ala Penn State?

There were more than enough quality brands in the PAC-12 but for whatever reason they continuously under performed which affected the national perception and ultimately the TV value.

22 minutes ago, GeotechDuck said:

...

I really miss those Pac-12 after dark games. 7:30pm start after dinner and two teams that could impact the conference standings kicking it off and playing late into the night. Crack a beer and relax until bedtime.

..

Oh, wow, just goes to show how different people can feel about it. I never watch any games that started after 7:00 pm, except for Duck away games (I usually, but not always attend the late home games), and then I was in my jammies and ready for the 20-seconds walk to bed after. :)

My hope is the football super conference arrives sooner than later and Oregon gets to go back to facing mostly teams in the west.

4 hours ago, GatOrlando said:

From experience, I can tell you that I'm starting to really dislike Missouri and Texas A&M in the same way I do South Carolina, and Ole Miss. It's taken a decade, but there's genuine feelings that weren't there before. Give it some time. It won't ever be like the old PAC Twelve, but that's because you grew up with that conference. Kids growing up today will grow up with new rivalries.

When Utah and Colorado joined the Pac-12 most fans felt the same way on the west coast. It took about 10 years of rather frequent games to build up a relationship between Oregon and Utah to make that game feel exciting.

Oregon and Colorado got a supercharged relationship and rivalry with the Lanning v Sanders narrative but that only lasted a year.

I know it will take years to get more excited about the games against B1G opponents. It will happen but it will take even longer for me to get interested enough to watch non-Oregon B1G games. With the Pac-12 I would watch a bad Washington State team and a bad Cal team throw the ball at each other for like 700 yards combined passing. I cared about those teams, not as much as Oregon but I cared enough to tune in.

I know it will all take time and rivalries aren't built in a day, week, month or even a year. They take a good decade to form and longer if those games are every other year.

2 hours ago, HappyToBeADuck said:

Last year tOSU and OBD's were #1 and #2 for most of the season. And the conference has won the last 2 Natty's and may get a threepeat this season. When was the last PAC team to win a Natty? Just usuck......

I will take that narrative over the fun and crazy of the PAC anytime. As you do, I find myself checking scores and flipping channels to watch parts of the many SEC games of the century every week. Very few BIG game match ups are compelling.

I wouldn't change our situation in this college football environment for anything. We are in the right conference for the health of our program.

Looking at little brother is depressing enough to make me be grateful for where we are.

I suspect the preference of which games to watch is largely based on where you spent your younger adult life.

If you grew up in the Midwest, and moved to the West Coast, I imagine you would rather watch Minnesota vs Wisconsin than Cal vs UCLA.

The unsolvable problem for the Pac: the national population east of the Rockies was more attuned to the former than the latter. The Pac, regardless of USC's periodic success, was always going to have short shrift of network and viewer interest.

USC clearly saw that when evaluating their financial future. Fortunately both UW and UO did as well.

I'm not sure which West games I might wish for? Cal? Utah? It's a very short list. And, because of that, it is still possible for non-conference. I would rather have some rotation schedule of a couple old Pac12 teams than play Oregon State very season. But, that is more about OSU than about nostalgia for the old Pac.