Pacific 12 History
Originally founded as the Pacific Coast Conference, the Pacific 12 Conference (PAC-12) has been one of college football’s premiere conferences since 1915. The Pac 12 is comprised of twelve universities in the western United States and field twenty-two NCAA men’s and women’s sports. The Pac 12 is strong across the board in athletics, with more NCAA championships than any other conference.
The conference has grown as it gained a reputation for its sports, expanding from the Pacific 8 (1968 to 1978) and Pacific 10 (1978 to 2011) to a twelve team membership in 2011. The additions of Colorado and Utah in 2011 grew what has been one of the most stable athletic conferences in the NCAA. Among constant conference membership changes, the Pac 12 hasn’t had a member leave since Idaho in 1959.
Southern California has been the consistent Pac 12 leader through its history and a powerhouse in college football; USC alone has eleven national championships and seven Heisman Trophy winners. The Pac 12 has a long history of successful NFL players, particularly at the quarterback position. John Elway (Stanford), Dan Fouts (Oregon), Troy Aikman (UCLA), and Aaron Rodgers (Cal) highlight the list of the many Pac 12 QBs to dominate at the pro level. With a steady supply of top talent, the Pac 12 can be critical to watch during draft season.
The Pac 12’s universities have produced seventeen of the NFL draft’s number one overall selections, with Andrew Luck being the most recent.
Pac 12 Teams
The Pac 12 is divided into the North and South Division, each containing six members. The North Division is made up of Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, Washington State, California, and Stanford.
The South Division is made up of Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, Utah, UCLA, and USC. The winner of each division competes in the Pac 12 Championship game, which began in 2011, to determine the conference title. The championship game is hosted by the division winner with the best conference record during the season.
USC has been the most consistently dominant Pac 12 university, with Stanford and Oregon football among other schools to have great success in recent years.
Pac 12 Bowl Games
The winner of the Pac 12 faces off in one of college football’s most celebrated affairs, the Rose Bowl, against the winner of the Big Ten. In the event that a Pac 12 team is ranked first or second in the nation, they forfeit their spot in the Rose Bowl to compete in the BCS National Championship Game.
The Pac 12 has six other bowl game tie-ins. They are, in order of pick, the Alamo Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Sun Bowl, Maaco Bowl Las Vegas, Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, and the New Mexico Bowl. Read about them here.
Pac 12 Region
The Pac 12’s universities are located primarily along the US’s Pacific Coast, with Oregon being the eastern most school of the twelve.
The conference stretches nearly the full height of the country, from Washington to Arizona.
The universities are spread over six states, with California having the most at four.
The warm southern climates and inviting weather of many of the schools can often appeal to prospective athletes and make for recruiting advantages for the Pac 12.
Pac 12 Betting
Pac 12 betting or Pacific 12 betting online can often be some of the most compelling in the nation, with many household names in the hunt for Heismans and schools constantly in the hunt for a BCS Championship.
Many Pac 12 universities are consistently among the BCS’s top twenty-five teams going into the season, making futures bets on Pac 12 teams and the Pac 12 Champion appealing. There are also futures and prop bets available concerning the race for the Heisman Trophy. Seven bowl games surround the Pac 12 for postseason betting, and the Rose Bowl in one of the most commonly wagered on games in all of sports.
USC, commonly a favorite for the national championship game, offers a number of intriguing bets in itself, both during season play and prop betting online during NFL draft season.
Many of the nation’s top recruits end up in the Pac 12. USC alone has developed a reputation as a quarterback factory, recruiting and developing Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, and Matt Barkley in recent years. Stay current on one of college football’s best conferences and read up on tips, picks, and advice to know how to wager on Pac 12 football.
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