The 10 schools leaving the Pac-12 will continue to participate in Pac-12 affiliated bowls for the next two seasons, instead of bowl games tied to their new conferences, according to Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark. This arrangement is due to existing contracts between the Pac-12 and bowl games that last until after the 2025 season. With only Oregon State and Washington State remaining in the Pac-12, the six bowls affiliated with the conference wouldn’t be able to fill their slots without including teams from other conferences.
As a result, the former Pac-12 schools, referred to as “Pac-12 legacy schools,” along with Oregon State and Washington State, will remain eligible for Pac-12 bowls until new contracts start in 2026. After the College Football Playoff field is selected, these teams will be part of the Pac-12’s bowl pool, preventing them from participating in their new conference bowl games until 2026. The six Pac-12 bowl tie-ins for 2024 and 2025 include the Alamo, Holiday, Las Vegas, Sun, Los Angeles, and Independence (2024)/ESPN event bowl (2025). The Rose Bowl, now part of the College Football Playoff rotation, is no longer tied to the Pac-12. It is unclear how the Pac-12 bowls will be filled, but the selection order will likely not be based on conference records. The Alamo Bowl will have the first pick from the Big 12 and Pac-12 after the College Football Playoff, able to select any eligible Pac-12 legacy school or Oregon State/Washington State.