USC Football: Pac-12 Intrigue Yields Huge TV Ratings Uptick For CFB

In its last season of existence, the Pac-12 has been closely watched.

It took the complete collapse of the conference, but the Pac-12 is peaking at just the wrong time.

With No. 4-ranked Washington and No. 6-ranked Oregon both in contention for a spot in the College Football Playoff, the Pac-12 has its best chance of winning a national championship since the format was changed at the beginning of the 2014 season.

Unfortunately, this season is also the Pac-12's last chance to legitimize its claim as the "Conference of Champions."

Conference realignment hit the Pac-12 the hardest of any Power 5 group and as a result, the conference's future is highly in question. In part because of a bum deal to create the Pac-12 Network — perhaps the worst thing to ever happen to the college football viewing experience.

It was money that pushed schools like USC and UCLA out of the conference, with all but Washington State and Oregon State following suit.

Next season, USC will likely make between $65 million and $75 million in their inaugural season in the Big Ten. The program made roughly $20 million per season in the Pac-12.

What is unfortunate is the Pac-12 is far from irrelevant in the college football landscape and people want to watch it.

In 2023, the Pac-12 saw a 60 percent increase in viewership compared to the previous season, per On3.com. Elite quarterback play from Bo Nix, Michael Penix Jr. and Caleb Williams led college football fans nationwide to tune into Pac-12 games — at least the ones that were viewable.

The cable providers or online streaming services that host the Pac-12 Network are extremely limited, making any game streamed on the network difficult to watch without hopping on a pirated stream.

With a seven-year, $8 billion deal with CBS, NBC and Fox, the Big Ten is built to command the nation's attention and it's no surprise that Pac-12 programs want to follow the money.

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