Andrew Pace
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that participates in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level for all sports. The Pac-12 includes the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) as part of its history and has won several NCAA national championships in team sports. The conference has a rich history in basketball, with the PCC beginning to play basketball in the 1915-16 season and the modern Pac-12 men's basketball tournament format starting in 1987. So, has the Pac-12 won a national basketball championship?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of formation | 1915 |
| Former name | Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) |
| Year of renaming | 2011 |
| Number of NCAA national championships won | 500+ |
| Schools that have won national championships | USC, California, Washington, Stanford, Colorado, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon, Oregon State |
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What You'll Learn
Pac-12 Conference men's basketball history
The Pac-12 Conference, known as the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) when it began in 1915, has a long history in men's basketball. The first PCC basketball champion was decided in the 1915-16 season, with the PCC split into North and South Divisions for basketball from 1922-23 onwards. The winners of these two divisions would play a best-of-three series of games to determine the PCC basketball champion.
In 1939, the first NCAA Men's Basketball Championship was held, with the PCC divisional playoff winner earning an automatic berth in the tournament. Oregon, the 1939 PCC champion, went on to win the 1939 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.
The Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU), formed in 1959 by principal members of the PCC, eventually became the Pac-12 in 2011. The AAWU was also known as the Big Five, Big Six, Pacific-8, and Pacific-10 at various points in its history.
The modern Pac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament format began in 1987 but was dropped after 1990 due to opposition from coaches and poor revenue and attendance. It was restarted in 2000, with the tournament format helping to increase exposure for the conference and improve seeding in the NCAA tournament.
The Pac-12 has a proud legacy in men's basketball, with member schools winning several national championships. For example, Utah was the national champion in 1944 before joining the Pac-12 in 2011, and Arizona won the national championship in 1997 without winning the conference.
The All-Pac-12 men's basketball team is an annual honour bestowed upon the best players in the conference, with coaches selecting a first and second team. The Pac-12 Hall of Honour also recognises former players and coaches who have made a significant impact on the conference's tradition and heritage.
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Pac-12 Conference national championships
The Pac-12 Conference, nicknamed the "Conference of Champions", has a rich history of success in national championships across various sports. The conference traces its roots back to the founding of the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) in 1915, and since then, Pac-12 members have accumulated numerous national titles.
In men's basketball, Pac-12 Conference programs have combined to win 15 NCAA championships. UCLA has been the most dominant, claiming 11 national titles, followed by Arizona, California, Oregon, Stanford, and Utah, who have each won one championship as Pac-12 members. Arizona won the most recent national title in 1997, while Utah won in 1944 before joining the Pac-12 in 2011.
The Pac-12's success extends beyond basketball, with notable achievements in football, baseball, softball, and women's sports. In football, USC claims 11 national championships, while California claims 5, with other Pac-12 members also contributing to the conference's impressive tally. Arizona State and Stanford have each won 2 football national championships, while Colorado and UCLA have each won 1.
Pac-12 members have also excelled in other sports, with UCLA winning 3 national championships in softball (1982, 1984, 1985) and 2 in women's outdoor track and field (1982, 1983). Stanford has won 3 national championships in women's tennis (1982, 1984, 1986), and USC has won 2 national championships in women's tennis (1983, 1985). Oregon won the national championship in women's track and field in 1985, showcasing the depth of talent across the conference.
The Pac-12 Conference has a proud legacy of producing national champions and has consistently been a powerhouse in intercollegiate athletics. The conference has produced pioneering dynasties and exceptional athletes across a range of sports, solidifying its reputation as one of the most successful conferences in NCAA history.
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Pac-12 Conference women's sports
The Pac-12 Conference first sponsored women's sports in the 1986–87 school year. Prior to officially sponsoring women's sports, several members of the Pac-12 Conference won national championships in women's sports as members of other conferences. For example, Oregon won the women's cross country title in 1983 as part of the Northern Pacific Conference, while USC and UCLA won women's volleyball titles in 1981 and 1984, respectively, as members of the Western Collegiate Athletic Association. Stanford won the women's swimming and diving championship in 1983 as a member of the Western Collegiate Athletic Association as well.
Since the Pac-12 Conference began sponsoring women's sports, member schools have gone on to win national championships in a variety of sports. UCLA won three national championships in softball in 1982, 1984, and 1985, as well as two in women's outdoor track and field in 1982 and 1983. Stanford won three national championships in women's tennis in 1982, 1984, and 1986, and USC won two national championships in the same sport in 1983 and 1985. Oregon won the national championship in women's track and field in 1985.
In addition to the aforementioned sports, Pac-12 member schools have also found success in women's basketball. The 2022–23 Pac-12 Conference women's basketball season began with practices in October 2022, followed by the start of the NCAA Division I women's basketball season in November. The Pac-12 tournament took place in March 2023 at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Paradise, Nevada, with all regular-season conference games and conference tournament games broadcast nationally by the ESPN family of networks.
The Pac-12 Conference has a rich history of success in women's sports, with member schools having won national championships in a variety of sports over the years. The conference continues to promote and support women's athletics, with the 2022–23 women's basketball season being the eleventh season under the Pac-12 Conference name.
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Pac-12 Conference members
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States. It was founded in 1915 as the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) and later renamed the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU) in 1959. The conference has had several name changes over the years, including Big Five, Big Six, Pacific-8, and Pacific-10, before finally becoming the Pac-12 in 2011 with the addition of Colorado and Utah.
The Pac-12 currently has two full members: Oregon State University and Washington State University. Ten of its twelve members departed in 2024, and the conference will expand to eight members in 2026 with the addition of five schools from the Mountain West Conference and one from the West Coast Conference. The new members will be Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Utah State, San Diego State, and Gonzaga, a non-football college.
The Pac-12 has a rich history in basketball, with the PCC beginning to play in the 1915-16 season. The conference was split into North and South Divisions for basketball starting in the 1922-23 season, with the winners of each division playing a best-of-three series to determine the PCC basketball champion. The Pac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament began in 1987 but was dropped in 1990 due to poor revenue and attendance. It was later restarted in 2000, and the modern format includes a conference tournament with championships for pairs and teams.
The Pac-12 and its predecessor conferences have produced several national champions in men's and women's basketball. Oregon won the 1939 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, and Washington State was retroactively selected as the national champion for 1917 by the Helms Athletic Foundation. Utah, which joined the Pac-12 in 2011, was a national champion in 1944, and Arizona won in 1997. In women's basketball, UCLA won three national championships in softball (1982, 1984, 1985) and two in women's outdoor track and field (1982, 1983) as a member of the Western Collegiate Athletic Association. Stanford also excelled, winning three national championships in women's tennis (1982, 1984, 1986) in the same conference.
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Pac-12 Conference formation
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States. It was formed after the disbanding of the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC), whose principal members founded the Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU) in 1959. The conference was unofficially known as the Pacific Athletic Conference, then the Pacific-8, when Oregon and Oregon State joined in 1964. In 1968, the AAWU was renamed the Pacific-8 Conference or Pac-8.
In 1978, the conference added Arizona and Arizona State, becoming the Pacific-10 Conference or Pac-10. The Pac-12 moniker was adopted in 2011 with the addition of Colorado and Utah. The Pac-12 currently has two full-member institutions: Oregon State University and Washington State University.
The conference has undergone several realignments in recent years. In 2024, Utah State and Gonzaga joined the Pac-12, bringing the total number of members to seven. However, the conference still requires one more football-sponsoring full member to preserve its FBS status. In 2026, the Pac-12 will expand further with the addition of five schools from the Mountain West Conference and one from the West Coast Conference.
The Pac-12 has a rich history in men's college basketball, which began with the formation of the PCC in 1915. As of 2023, Pac-12 schools have won 15 Division I national titles, with UCLA holding the record for the most championships (11) of any Division I team. The conference is also known for its success in other sports, having won more NCAA national championships in team sports than any other conference in history.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Pac-12 has won several national basketball championships. The conference includes the PCC as part of its history and the PCC began playing basketball in the 1915-16 season.
The Pac-12 currently has two full-member institutions: Oregon State University and Washington State University. Previous members include Arizona, Arizona State, California, Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Utah, and Washington.
The Pac-12 has won more NCAA national championships in team sports than any other conference in history. As of 2024, Pac-12 schools have won over 500 NCAA national championships.
Yes, there have been several instances of Pac-12 schools winning championships in sports that were not sponsored by the conference. For example, UCLA won three national championships in softball (1982, 1984, 1985) before the Pac-12 sponsored women's softball.
Yes, the Pac-12 has stated that it \"did not record official league standings\" during the inaugural season of beach volleyball. Despite this, several Pac-12 schools have won national championships in beach volleyball, including Arizona State in 1994.
