The people, places, things, traditions and tunes that make the Pac-12 special.
Pac-12, ya grand ol’ dame, happy 100.
Sure, the fact that the conference is celebrating its centennial only four years after actually becoming a -12 is a bit ridiculous. But we’ll go along with Larry Scott and throw a celebration for the once-Pacific Coast Conference, formed at the Imperial Hotel in Portland in 1915.
Here’s a list of 100 quintessential people, places, things, traditions and tunes that make the Pac-12 special:
Heard of him? He was ok. Although, he never played in a bowl game at Stanford.
Stanford seems to be doing something right.
The Arizona State alum, NFL vet and Army Ranger was — and is — an American hero.
As electrifying a running back at USC as the conference — and country — has ever seen in college football.
The Oregon legend has already etched his name among college greats.
Yes, he inherited the keys to the smoothest car on the market, but man, were those Trojans good.
Forget Pete Carroll: It was offensive coordinator Norm Chow and Palmer who turned USC into what it would become.
Allen became USC’s first-ever 2,000-yard rushed in 1982, a year for the history books.
The second player in Rose Bowl history to win player of the game honors twice: what is more Pac-12 than that?
Edging out Notre Dame’s Joe Theismann and Ole Miss’ Archie Manning to take home the Heisman, the Stanford quarterback became the first Latino Heisman winner.
One heck of a player. Leave it at that.
UCLA’s lone Heisman winner, which — when you look at its NFL talent — is saying something.
Ignore just about every single thing he did as USC athletic director: Garrett was the first of the Trojans’ Heisman greats.
The only Oregon State player to win a Heisman, and when you realize where Corvallis is, you understand.
There’s a statue of him just outside Arizona Stadium, and he came up with ‘Bear Down’.
The NFL’s greatest-ever tight end started at Cal, where he doubled as a basketball player, too.
A No. 1 overall pick in 1996 after a stellar USC career. Now 20 years later, his son is a top recruit considering a number of Pac-12 schools. Full circle.
A soon-to-be NFL Hall-of-Famer, for sure, was also a star offensive lineman at UCLA.
Washington’s defensive lineman is one of 12 No. 1 overall picks in Pac-12 history.
Another No. 1 pick out of Washington State, Bledsoe is probably best known for being Wally Pipped by Tom Brady, although he was a star in his own right, making four Pro Bowls in the NFL.
One of the NFL’s biggest-ever draft busts is also Pac-12 alum, as he starred at Oregon.
It will be a real shame if the UCLA coaches clam up again and don’t unleash one of the nation’s best linebackers at running back.
The Arizona linebacker has had the kind of season last year any college player would be happy with … for a career.
If Cal has any kind of resurgence, it will be on the strength of Goff’s arm.
The Swiss are jealous that they can’t include USC’s star with their army knives.
With all the backfield issues at Oregon, Freeman is a constant, and a constant threat for 200 yards.
An absolutely pivotal offensive weapon for an Arizona State team that will need it this year.
Taller than the Stanford mascot and stronger than an actual tree, Murphy could be just the next Cardinal big in the NFL.
How many overlooked wideouts have gone missed by the traditional powers and dominated a conference like Colorado’s treasure?
Kyle Whittingham might actually glue the ball to Utah’s workhorse this season.
Colorado’s multilingual offensive lineman will wow you with his brain and brawn.
His success at USC from 2002 to 2008 was unprecedented. We have to pretend 2005 didn’t happen, though, apparently.
He coached USC to eight — ! — Rose Bowls. Arizona is still waiting on No. 1.
You’ve probably heard the phrase “Pop Warner.” Well, it’s not just a phrase. Also a person, and a legendary Stanford coach from 1924-1932.
His three years at Stanford in the late 1890s weren’t anything crazy — he had a 12-3-3 record — but he was a legend at Yale and remains the namesake of a major award.
In 17 years as Washington’s head coach, he won 10 games or more six times. Beats “Seven-Win-Sark,” eh?
ASU players recently carried the 86-year-old off the field after practice. He deserved it — Kush won four Fiesta Bowls as ASU’s coach.
UCLA’s coach for nearly 20 years had a remarkable four-year stretch of seven straight bowl wins, three Rose Bowls and one Fiesta Bowl.
Coached two of Arizona’s best ever teams — 1993 and 1998 — and was at the helm of the great Desert Swarm defenses.
Had his major success in the NFL but was a conference legend, as well.
Found Aaron Rodgers in the unlikeliest of places — Butte Junior College — and revolutionized the league with his passing offenses.
Average-Joe persona fit perfectly in Pullman, and his taste in quarterbacks — Drew Bledsoe, Ryan Leaf and Jason Gesser — was impeccable.
Quite possibly the strangest, most fascinating human being to ever coach in the league, except for …
Hot as a tailpipe but hellish on visiting teams, especially when the Wildcats are playing well.
Is it Phoenix? Is it Scottsdale? Who cares! With Todd Graham in for the long haul, Tempe is cooking.
Who cares if those hippie freaks don’t use deodorant? The skiing is immaculate, and the football program is big-time, recent years notwithstanding.
A living shrine to football and the second season of “24.” What more do you need than O.J. Simpson and Jack Bauer?
The most stunning backdrop in college football.
Space needle, Seahawks, Skittles and Marshawn Lynch (another Pac-12 guy). Can’t beat that. Oh, and UW is here.
The birthplace of American distance running and, as of a decade ago, “blur” football.
Pullman’s favorite pregame watering hole is stumbling distance from Martin Stadium.
Thrifty fans watch Cal games from this spot overlooking Memorial Stadium, and set off a cannon when the Bears score.
One of the most beautiful settings in college football, but any noise makes the press box sways violently and reporters — OK, us — freak out.
Oregon’s home turf, loud from kickoff to the moment the game is over, blowout or not. Must-see if you haven’t.
Bruce and Clay Matthews both dominated for USC, Eric and Mychal Kendricks terrorized offenses for UCLA and Cal, respectively, and Manu (UCLA) and Marques (Washington) Tuiasosopo were Pac-12 monsters. The Arizona Gronkwoskis (Rob and Chris) led the league in muscles.
The 1916 Oregon Ducks won the Rose Bowl over Pennsylvania, 14-0, to kick off the conference’s dynasty.
Etched in the minds of both Oregon and Washington fans is one of the most famous plays in conference history. The Ducks’ Kenny Wheaton intercepted the Huskies’ Damon Huard and returned it for a 97-yard touchdown to cinch the win for Oregon in 1994.
This Washington-Washington State is typically played in rain, snow and hail. But it’s as heated as any rivalry in the league.
The USC-UCLA winner wins this somewhat boring trophy.
A game that’s not small. The winner receives the Stanford Axe.
The oldest rivalry trophy in college football is awarded to the winner of the UA-ASU rivalry game.
It took place in the 1860s. Abraham Lincoln was involved. So were Chip Kelly and Mike Riley. And Oregon and Oregon State. Wait. Is that right?
USC won by one point in a game that featured both the Heisman winner (UCLA’s Gary Beban) and the runner-up (USC’s O.J. Simpson). The game decided the national championship.
This game is mostly famous for a wild final play where California scored on a multi-lateral kick return, during which the Stanford band came onto the field. It’s famously referred to as “The Play.” Also as “The Moment That Prevented John Elway From Ever Being Eligible For A Bowl Game”. Only one of those is a real nickname, but both are true.
USC entered this game with a 35-game home winning streak, and Stanford was coming off a 1-11 season in 2006. So, of course, the Cardinal upset the Trojans in a wild game in which Stanford scored 17 points in the fourth quarter.
Probably the greatest non-Territorial Cup play in Arizona history, UA quarterback Ortege Jenkins miraculously leaped for a touchdown at the goal line, flipping into the end zone at the last second to secure a crazy win. “The Leap at the Lake” lives on, 17 years later.
As famous as any school marching band in the Pac-12. Call themselves, apparently, “The World’s Largest Rock and Roll Band.”
Rich Rodriguez calls him “Uncle Phil”. Really, though, he’s the Oregon godfather, the co-founder of Nike, and the reason why the Ducks have all that swag.
Cal’s mascot walks around in a sweater and with his hands behind his back and you instantly picture Mr. Rogers.
USC’s erstwhile mascot is the standard bearer for college football horses.
Colorado’s pregame ritual is one of the best in the country.
The ASU motto, and accompanying hand signal, kind of like the Arizona Wildcat “WC” hand symbol except, you know, different.
UCLA’s famous cheer. Heard at all Bruins sporting events.
The longstanding motto of Arizona athletics.
USC’s battle cry.
The Byrne family has been kind to the conference. Bill Byrne helped kick off longstanding Oregon athletics success as the Ducks athletic director in the 1980s and early 90s, while his son Greg has become a star of the profession for UA.
The Ducks have revolutionized football fashion.
Arizona’s running back ran wild against Ralphie and the admittedly mediocre Buffaloes — he had a Pac-12 record 366 yards and five touchdowns against them in 2012.
In a wild game at Arizona Stadium in 2012, USC’s Lee caught 16 passes for a Pac-12 record 345 receiving yards. Arizona’s Austin Hill had 259 yards in the same game.
In 2002, the ASU defensive end set an NCAA record with 24 sacks, along with a nation-leading 31.5 tackles for loss.
In 1977, this ‘Thriller’ Washington Huskies linebacker moonwalked his way to a record 219 tackles.
The Oregon State quarterback set a not-so-great record: he threw seven interceptions in a 1987 game against Stanford.
The Washington kicker made a record 30 straight field goals between 1981 and 1982.
There’s been two 99-yard passing touchdowns in conference history — Wazzu’s Jeff Tuel to Johnny Forzani in 2009, and Arizona’s Jason Johnson to Brandon Marshall in 2001.
Washington’s defensive back had 14 interceptions in 1968.
The Trojans can claim most of the conference’s best-ever teams, but this one might have been their best of the best. USC went 13-0, powered by Heisman-winner Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, LenDale White and about 30 other NFL players.
Washington’s 1991 team went undefeated, outscored opponents 495-115 and killed Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Not too shabby.
USC’s iconic fight song has just 17 different words in it, is easy to hum and should be accompanied by finger-Vs for victory.
Stanford, being Stanford, adopted this classic rock song as its unofficial tune in 1973.
Utes’ fight song brags that “No rival band of college fans dare meet us in the muss.”
The “Pride of Arizona” plays Arizona’s original fight song during PATs.
Pee-Wee Herman himself would love this Washington tradition.
Obscure Golden Bears marching band tune brags that “When the game is over, we will buy a keg of booze/And drink to California ‘til we wobble in our shoes.”
USC makes a second appearance on the list, and why not? They’ve performed this Fleetwood Mac song live with the band.
Ducks’ fight song sounded much better in the old Mac Court than it does in Autzen Stadium, but still a good tune.
Different schools, same melody, vastly different lyrics. Thanks for confusing us all, Cal and UCLA.
Visit Sun Devil Stadium, and you’ll come away whistling “A-S-U,” the tuba-accompanied tack-on to the school’s fight song.
Neat because it refers to the school’s official colors, silver and gold. That right, the Buffs wear black jerseys.
Inspiration came from the words “Bear Down” written on top of the old Bear Down Gym.
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