The Pac-12, one of college football’s most historic conferences, will not hold media days this offseason as it relaunches with eight football programs. Unlike the Big 12, Big Ten, SEC, and ACC, which are staging their preseason events this month, the new Pac-12 is sitting out to save money.

“We could have. We talked about it. Those are expensive,” said Pac-12 Senior Vice President Rick Hart, speaking at Fresno State. “Traditionally, you spend a lot of money, you bring everybody together for two or three days, and you disrupt camp or whatever’s going on. Maybe you get the media there, maybe you don’t. Maybe you get 72 hours of publicity alongside all the other leagues that are doing media days. It’s pretty noisy. There’s a lot of static. And then everybody moves on.”

Media days are not just about microphones. Conferences pay for travel, hotels, production crews, and PR staff while pulling coaches away from camp. For a rebooting league with smaller media deals, that bill can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars. Hart’s point was simple: spend less now, protect the brands, and avoid getting lost in a crowded news cycle when every power league is talking at once.

The Pac-12 last held a formal media event in 2023, in Las Vegas, before losing ten members in 2024. A year later, with only Oregon State and Washington State left, the league still staged a Bellagio event for reporters. This time, with a full slate of eight football schools, the choice is to conserve cash during the relaunch. This season, they will not host formal media days, but Hart and Pac-12 commissioner Teresa Gould will sit with the media.

The conference will host a meeting in Frisco, but not in a formal setting like in 2024. Regardless, it will help the Pac-12 share its relaunching journey and clarify the reason for not hosting a preseason kickoff event for fans. The Frisco meeting is essential; the conference’s existence was once at risk. Programs like Colorado moved from the Pac-12 to the Big 12. Then USC and UCLA, followed by Oregon, left the conference. So, this relaunch requires transparency.

“Two years ago, I handpicked 30 people to jump on the Titanic with me,” said Teresa Gould, as reported by Sports Illustrated. “When I got on a Zoom with them, I said, ‘I don’t know how long you’re going to have a job. I don’t know if this league is going to exist. I can’t promise you much, but I need help in this fight.'”

Over time, the conference found its way back, adding six new football members to reach the NCAA’s eight-team threshold.

The Pac-12 Conference is still on the rise

After the 2024 exodus, the Pac-12 had two years to reach the NCAA’s minimum of eight football members or lose its FBS status. The rebooted league cleared that bar with Oregon State and Washington State, plus Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, San Diego State, Texas State, and Utah State.

“I think the conference has massive potential. We can do really innovative things. I think we can act fast on things, we can pivot quickly, and we can choose our own path,” said Utah State AD Cameron Walker. “I think we have the potential to get in the mix with the Big East, basketball conference-wise. I think we have the potential to push and get in the mix with the American on the football side.”

“If we can do both those things, a year from now, or two years from now, people are going to ask, ‘What is the best conference outside [the Power 4]?'” added Walker. Now, let’s see how the conference’s 2026 season unfolds with new members.