Nobody can change the truth that the Pac-12 is underrated. Some even said the conference is almost dead after several teams left to join the Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC. So, they had to act right away to stay alive, and the Pac-12 took a daring move at that instrumental point.
Of course, survival reasons influenced the choice, but honestly, this goes beyond just keeping afloat. With a new media rights extension that has the potential to transform the future of college sports on the West Coast, the Pac-12 is ready to write a new chapter in its history.
CBS Sports Becomes Extended Home of Pac-12 Conference in Groundbreaking 2030 Agreement
The conference announced Monday that they have finalized an agreement with CBS Sports to extend their media partnership through the 2030–31 season. With this blockbuster deal, CBS becomes the primary long-term media partner for the conference.
Starting in 2026, CBS will air at least three regular-season football games and basketball games annually on its main network. Additionally, the network will carry the football and basketball championship games. You can watch them all live on Paramount+ as well.
Additionally, regular-season games will air on CBS Sports Network, giving the conference consistent national exposure across both cable and streaming platforms. This particular development is significant for incoming schools like Boise State and Fresno State, who will now have a much larger media footprint.
NEWS: CBS Sports & Pac-12 extend partnership through the 2030-31 season! 🤝
📜: https://t.co/fjEB6yXTtI#BackThePac pic.twitter.com/4r73zA64Ej
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) June 23, 2025
CBS Sports Executive Vice President Dan Weinberg emphasized the strategic value of the partnership, stating that the network’s “top-tier coverage will showcase the best of the conference’s football and men’s basketball games annually across our platforms.”
The Pac-12 made the deal at the right time. After teams like USC, UCLA, and Oregon left, the Pac-12 only had two schools left that played football: Oregon State and Washington State. But now, they are adding five new schools. That means the Pac-12 will have seven football teams starting in 2026. But that is still one short of the NCAA’s FBS requirement.
People are chatting about the Pac-12 maybe bringing in one more football school, like Texas State or another Group of Five program, to meet that threshold. They could possibly pull it off soon before July 1. And, not to mention, the contract extension has surely made things better for them now.
Commissioner Teresa Gould called the agreement a transformational partnership. “Our goal with this process was to find transformational partnerships for the new Pac-12, and throughout our discussions and time together, it became more and more clear that a partnership with CBS Sports would be just that,” she said in a statement.
So far, things are looking good. Those who feared the conference might not survive will soon see its rebirth, with CBS giving it a prime-time platform to establish itself.
