In recent news, it has been announced that former members of the Pac-12 who are now part of the Big 12 will maintain their bowl game affiliations for the 2024 and 2025 college football seasons. This means that all 12 teams formerly in the Pac-12 will have the opportunity to be considered for bowl games such as the Valero Alamo Bowl, which previously featured matchups between Big 12 and Pac-12 teams.
Even Washington State and Oregon State, who are still members of the Pac-12 and will have a conference schedule affiliated with the Mountain West, will be eligible to participate in the Alamo Bowl. This decision ensures that student-athletes from these schools will continue to have the chance to compete in top-tier postseason events.
Moreover, former Pac-12 schools that have joined the Big 12, Big Ten, and ACC will also have opportunities to play in various other bowl games including the LA Bowl, Holiday Bowl, Las Vegas Bowl, Independence Bowl, Sun Bowl, and the ESPN bowl pool. This collaboration among different conferences and bowl partners has been praised by Merton Hanks, the Pac-12 executive associate commissioner of football operations.
The Pac-12 conference had previously signed six-year bowl agreements that were set to run through 2025. Despite the changes in conference alignments, the league’s bowl partners will continue with their selection processes to determine which teams will participate in each bowl game.
Furthermore, the Rose Bowl, which is part of the College Football Playoff, will host quarterfinal games in both 2024 and 2025. It is important to note that the Rose Bowl is no longer required to feature teams from the Big Ten or Pac-12, signaling a shift in the traditional matchups seen in Pasadena, California.
Overall, this update on the 2025 Pac-12 bowl game agreements highlights the efforts made to ensure that all teams, regardless of conference affiliation, have the opportunity to compete in prestigious postseason events. The cooperation among various conferences and bowl partners has been instrumental in securing these opportunities for student-athletes and fans alike.