Andrew Pace
The Pac-12 men's basketball tournament is an exciting and highly anticipated annual event. In 2024, the tournament began on March 13 in Las Vegas, with Arizona and Washington State securing the top two seeds. The remaining seeds were still up for grabs as the conference entered its final week of the regular season. Oregon and Colorado were in close competition for seeds No. 3 and No. 4, ensuring a first-round bye. The Bruins, Golden Bears, Sun Devils, and Huskies were also in the mix, showcasing their skills and strategies in pursuit of a top-four seed. With wins and losses shaping the standings, the teams fought hard to climb the rankings and secure their positions in the tournament.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Season | 2023-24 |
| Conference Name | Pac-12 |
| Number of Schools | 12 |
| Season Start Date | November 6, 2023 |
| Conference Play Start Date | December 27, 2023 |
| Tournament Dates | March 13-16, 2024 |
| Tournament Location | T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas Strip, Paradise, Nevada |
| Number of Teams in Tournament | All 12 schools |
| Bye in the First Round | Top four teams |
| Bye in Quarterfinals | Top four teams |
| Historical Seasons | 109 (including Pacific Coast Conference) |
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What You'll Learn
2023-24 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament
The 2023–24 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball season began with practices in October 2023, followed by the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's basketball season on November 6, 2023. Conference play began on December 27, 2023. This was the twelfth season under the Pac–12 Conference name and the 65th since the current Pac-12 charter was established in 1959.
The 2024 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament was held from March 13–16, 2024, at T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. This was the seventh consecutive season that all regular-season conference games and conference tournament games were broadcast nationally by ESPN Inc.'s family of networks, including ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, FOX, FS1, CBS Sports, and the Pac-12 Network.
The 2023 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament was held from March 8–11, 2023, at the same venue as the 2024 tournament. The tournament winner, Arizona, was ranked in the top 25 at the start of the tournament, along with UCLA. Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, and USC received invitations to the 2023 NCAA tournament, while Colorado, Oregon, and Washington State received invitations to the 2023 National Invitation Tournament.
In the 2024 Pac-12 tournament, Stanford fired coach Jerod Haase following their loss to Washington State. Washington State's head coach was announced as Stanford's new head basketball coach following his team's exit from the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Additionally, Washington announced that Mike Hopkins would coach the remainder of the 2024 season and be relieved of his duties afterward.
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Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series
The Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series is an educational and basketball scheduling partnership between the Pac-12 and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The partnership was announced in 2021 and the first game of the series took place in 2022 when Florida A&M men's basketball visited Oregon. The series was created to raise the platform of HBCUs and social justice issues, with teams paired off for two-year sets, hosting and visiting each other in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
The Legacy Series also incorporates educational opportunities for competing teams and athletes, including community engagement, historic site visits, and book and film discussions. Teams also get to hear from expert speakers and prominent alumni and experience campus traditions.
The Pac-12/SWAC series has not been without its challenges and upsets. In 2022, the Pac-12 suffered three losses on the road, with Arizona State losing to Texas Southern 67-66, and Washington State losing to Prairie View A&M 70-59. These losses have been described as threatening to pull down the conference's power rating and creating a no-win situation for high-major teams.
Despite these setbacks, the Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series continues to be an important initiative, providing opportunities for HBCUs and raising awareness for social justice issues. The 2023-24 season marks the twelfth season under the Pac-12 Conference name and the 65th since the current Pac-12 charter was established in 1959. With several teams moving to different conferences after the 2023-24 academic year, the upcoming season will be the final one in the conference's current form.
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Top four teams receive a bye to the quarterfinals
The top four teams receiving a bye to the quarterfinals is a feature of several college sports tournaments, including the Pac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament and the College Football Playoff.
In the 2022 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament, the top four teams received a bye to the quarterfinals. The tournament was held from March 9 to March 12, 2022, at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The Arizona Wildcats were crowned champions and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
The College Football Playoff (CFP) has recently expanded its field from four to twelve teams, starting in the fall of 2024. Under the new format, the top four seeds, or the four highest-ranked conference champions, will receive a first-round bye and advance directly to the quarterfinals. This marks a change from the previous format, where teams like Notre Dame, which do not play a conference championship game, could not receive a first-round bye. With the expansion, there is now a greater emphasis on winning conference championships, as the top four seeds will enjoy the advantage of a bye week while the remaining eight teams compete in the first round.
The quarterfinal games in the College Football Playoff are hosted by bowl games, such as the Rose, Orange, Sugar, and Peach bowls. The selection committee considers historical bowl relationships and seeding when assigning teams to these bowls. The No. 1 seed is given preferential treatment and will not be placed at a geographical disadvantage.
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NCAA Tournament appearances
The Pac-12 Conference is one of the most competitive and prestigious basketball conferences in the country, and its teams have a long history of success in the NCAA Tournament.
The 2024 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball tournament, held in March 2024, was a showcase of the top talent in the conference and a precursor to the NCAA Tournament. The top four teams in the conference—Arizona, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington State—received a bye to the quarterfinals, indicating their strong standing within the Pac-12.
Arizona, UCLA, and Oregon have particularly impressive histories in the NCAA Tournament, with numerous appearances and deep runs. Arizona, a perennial powerhouse, has made over 30 tournament appearances, including four Final Four berths and a national championship in 1997. UCLA, another storied program, boasts an even more impressive resume, with over 40 tournament appearances, a record 11 national championships, and 18 Final Four appearances. Oregon, while not as consistent as the previous two, has also made its mark with over 15 tournament appearances and a Final Four berth in 2017.
Washington State, the fourth team in the top four of the 2024 Pac-12 Tournament, might not have the same NCAA Tournament pedigree as the other three, but they have still made their fair share of appearances. They have represented their school and conference proudly on the national stage, with a handful of tournament appearances and a Sweet Sixteen run in recent memory.
The Pac-12 Conference has consistently produced top-tier basketball programs, and the 2024 season was no different. The top four teams, Arizona, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington State, all had the talent and potential to make noise in the NCAA Tournament, building on the conference's rich history of success in March Madness.
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Pac-12 men's basketball history
Men's college basketball in the Pac-12 Conference began in 1915 with the formation of the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC). The PCC was split into North and South Divisions for basketball beginning with the 1922–23 season. The winners of the two divisions would play a best-of-three series of games to determine the PCC basketball champion. The Athletic Association of Western Universities (AAWU) was founded in 1959 by principal members of the PCC, and subsequently went by the names Big Five, Big Six, Pacific-8, and Pacific-10, becoming the Pac-12 in 2011. The Pac-12 includes the PCC as part of its history despite the two leagues being formed under separate charters.
The modern tournament format began in 1987 as the Pacific-10 Men's Basketball Tournament. The first incarnation of the tournament ran from 1987 to 1990, hosted at different school sites. UCLA was awarded the inaugural tournament, which was won by the Bruins. The Arizona Wildcats hosted the 1988 tournament and won. On March 13, 2012, the Pac-12 Tournament was officially moved to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, for a three-year term. The tournament moved to T-Mobile Arena during the 2016–17 basketball season.
Pac-12 Conference basketball programs have combined to win 15 NCAA men's basketball championships as Pac-12 members, with another member (Utah) having won a national championship in 1944 before joining the conference in 2011. Stanford in 1942 and California in 1959 are the other NCAA champions. The Bruins own the longest dynasty in history, winning seven straight national championships and going to 10 straight Final Fours. John Wooden is considered the greatest college basketball coach of all time, with Lew Alcindor and Bill Walton regarded as two of the greatest college players ever.
After the 2023–24 season, all members of the Pac-12 joined other conferences. Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington left for the Big Ten Conference; Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah joined the Big 12 Conference; California and Stanford joined the Atlantic Coast Conference, and Oregon State and Washington State joined the West Coast Conference. The conference is slated to re-emerge with new basketball members for the 2026-27 season.
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Frequently asked questions
The 2024 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament was held from March 13 to March 16, 2024.
The tournament was held at the T-Mobile Arena on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada.
All 12 schools were scheduled to participate in the tournament.
Yes, the top four teams received a bye to the quarterfinals.
