NCAAW: What’s next for USC, Stanford and the rest of the the Pac-12?

The Pac-12 is dead, but death is never the end. Today, we’ll look at where the ghosts of Pac-12’s past will be playing in the future.

Pac-12 teams joining Big Ten

The Big Ten ate up many Pac-12 teams, with USC, UCLA, Washington, and Oregon joining the conference. The Pac-12 is over and down with, but what’s good is that the rivalry between USC and UCLA will continue with these teams staying together. With these additions, the Big Ten will be one of the most competitive women’s basketball conferences.

Big 12 gets bigger

Speaking of good conferences improving, the Big 12 adds Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and Arizona State. The Big 12 already was one of the best conferences last year. Now, they add top-25-level programs like Utah and Colorado, and it looks like the Big 12 battles will be absolute bloodbaths.

Similar to UCLA and USC staying together, it’s good to see Arizona and Arizona State staying in the same conference to keep that state rivalry going. We are already losing so much with these huge conference realignments. Keeping whatever history we can is important.

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ACC adds a pair

The ACC didn’t make the enormous additions the Big 12 and Big Ten did, but they did make a splash by adding Stanford and Cal. Stanford is the big get from a basketball perspective, but both teams will strengthen the ACC in all other sports programs.

Photo by John Todd/ISI Photos/Getty Images

West Coast Conference keeps teams home

The West Coast Conference adds Oregon State and Washington State, making the Beavers the likely frontrunner to win the conference in 2024-25. Washington State struggled to collect wins last year, so I think this move puts them in competition matches where they currently are as a program.

Closing Thoughts

It will take some time to get use to the death of the Pac-12. No longer having these exact matchups is a bummer, but some rivalries will carry on, and we’ll build new traditions, new rivalries and new matchups we’ve never seen before.

So, let’s make the most of the new changes and cheer on our favorite former Pac-12 teams. And who knows, maybe the Pac-12 will return someday? Capitalism and nostalgia are as American as apple pie, and there’s nothing like a good comeback story to inspire the return of something we wish never left to begin with.

For now, let this be a guide for where these programs will play next year and beyond, and may the Pac-12 rest in paradise.