Sadness is in the air with the collapse of the Pac 12. Can we get a wellness check on Bill Walton? The Conference of Champions is disappearing in front of our very eyes. Sure, they might bring in some new faces but the premier Universities are all gone. Oregon, Washington, UCLA, USC, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado left for the TV money. We’ll cherish all of the great memories we have from Pac 12 sports. Perhaps, if there was better leadership in the Conference this would not have happened. That’s a topic for another time. We look forward to the next chapter in our favorite programs history. Whoever that might be.

Arizona Wildcats Knock out 3 No. 1 seeds to take National Championship

It’s not just that they beat 3 top seeds. It’s who they were. Kansas, North Carolina, and Kentucky. Miles Simon, Jason Terry, and young Mike Bibby. Lute Olson and the Wildcats walked into March Madness a 4 seed and left the best team in college basketball. That’s why March Madness is the greatest postseason tournament in sports. “Simon says, championship” will forever be the greatest 3 words for Wildcat fans to look back on.

Reggie Bush and USC become the most Exciting Team in College

My greatest memory of the PAC 12 is Reggie Bush and Lendale White being the scariest 1-2 punch in all of college football. You also can’t mention the Pac 12 without mentioning the famous words, “the band is on the field.” Not all memories were great, like when Vince Young walked into the end zone in the Rose Bowl. Some harsh sanctions followed this up for USC. However, that doesn’t take away the excitement and great memories the Pac 12, formerly the Pac 10.

UCLA/Arizona Basketball

Pac 12 hoops came down to 2 schools. Arizona and UCLA. Lute Olson and John Wooden. Gibert Arenas, Richard Jefferson, and Mike Bibby; Kareem, Bill Walton, and Reggie Miller. The history with these two programs goes back a long time. Two legendary coaches and an endless number of NBA players. This matchup usually has Bill Walton commentating which means you’ll hear Conference of Champions at least 100 times.

Jake ‘the snake’ Plummer and Pat Tillman leads ASU to the Rose Bowl

1996 was a big year for the Sun Devils. A perfect 8-0 conference record led by Jake Plummer and Pat Tillman they were 1 score away from a Rose Bowl win against the Ohio State Buckeyes. They were stacked with players like Andy Katzenmoyer, David Boston, and Orlando Pace were just a few of their dawgs. David Boston was a freshman and caught 2 TD passes and Katz was also a freshman LB for the Buckeyes and had 3 sacks in the game and an interception. Plummer nearly pulled off the unthinkable against one of the powerhouses in college football. It took a game winning TD from Boston to seal the victory for OH.

Stanford vs. Cal, 1982- The Band Game

When you think of the Pac10 Conference you cannot leave out the famous Cal vs. Stanford band game in ’82. With 4 seconds left, John Elway had Stanford up 20-19. Now, with the game all but won, Stanford was kicking off to Cal and the Stanford band was ‘jacked up’ and ready to stomp the field in Victory fashion. A few laterals and a few bulldozed band members later, Cal was marching to Victory. There were two names for this epic ending. ‘The Play’ and ‘5 laterals and a trombone’ became one of the most exciting endings in sports history.

Jenny Finch Took Women’s Softball to Another Level

As a freshman in 1999 she had 24 wins and hit .353. In 2000, Finch was 29-2 as a starting pitcher with a .79 ERA, hit 16 homeruns and had a .327 batting average. 2001 she became a Giant to the rest of the world, she went 32-0 with a .54 ERA. At the plate she mashed 3 grand slams that season with 11 homeruns. Winning a national championship in the process. She is still the polarizing figure in Women’s softball.

Cal vs. USC OT Thriller- Leinart vs. Rodgers

Nobody knew it at the time but Aaron Rodgers was a somebody. He started turning heads in Cal. Leinart and USC were the goliath of college football at this time. One thing is for sure, Rodgers thinks he can beat anyone at anytime and that was the case back then as well. He took a 21-7 halftime lead for Leinart to come storming back. Rodgers ended up upsetting the Trojans. At the time this was considered a huge upset. But then again, nobody knew that Rodgers would end up with 4 MVP’s and a SB Ring so this isn’t as big of an upset.

Notable Players from the Pac 12

Steve Kerr–Aaron Gordon–Aaron Rodgers–Bill Walton–Russel Westbrook –Jaylen Brown–Randy Johnson–Mark McGwire–Barry Bonds–Rob Gronkowski–Teddy Bruschi–John Elway– Terry Francona–Trevor Hoffman–Kenny Lofton–Gilbert Arenas-Andre Iguodala–Klay Thompson– Pat Tillman– James Harden–Terrel Suggs– Andrew Luck–Tiger Woods–Deandre Ayton