Pac-12 predictions: UCLA makes Final Four, UA falls short, UW thrives in football
2023 is the last year of the Pac-12 as we know it. It's the year with USC and UCLA and the four-team playoff. The Hotline offers its predictions for the conference on the field/court and off.
UCLA will play in the Final Four. Arizona won't make it past the Sweet 16. The Wildcats are not good enough on the perimeter to win four games in NCAAs.
UCLA, Utah and Stanford are Pac-12's top teams in women's basketball. They will be national semifinalists in both NCAA tournaments for the first time.
There is a lot of uncertainty regarding the future of the men's basketball programs. Cal's Mark Fox, Stanford's Jerod Haase, Oregon State's Wayne Tinkle and Washington's Mike Hopkins are in trouble. Washington State has a better budget and can focus on football. Kyle Smith is the most likely candidate to be fired.
UCLA, Washington, USC, Utah, Oregon and Oregon State will be in the AP preseason poll. No other conference will have more than five teams in poll, as Pac-12 will do.
Colorado will be more competitive under Sanders, but will finish a game short of bowl eligibility. Arizona State will get walloped by NCAA sanctions, delaying Kenny Dillingham's rebuilding project. Stanford will continue to flounder under Troy Taylor.
UCLA will make the Final Four. Washington will be the last team standing. The Pac-12 will not place a team in the College Football Playoff.
Michael Penix Jr. will represent the Pac-12 at the Heisman Trophy ceremony. He will be the second consecutive year that a Pac 12 quarterback will receive the award.
The Pac-12 hasn't released the 2023 schedule yet. It's the first season without USC and UCLA. The conference will keep the nine-game league rotation but implement a pod system. Washington and Oregon will play each other every season.
The Hotline expects the Pac-12 to sign a media-rights deal with the 10 remaining schools. The deal will be between $33 million and $37 million per school. Commissioner George Kliavkoff needs to present the presidents with an acceptable offer.
The conference is seeking a balance between revenue and visibility. It foresees partnerships with Amazon, ESPN and either Fox or CBS. The Pac-12 Networks will continue to function as a streaming platform for Olympic sports.
The Pac-12 will sell its statistical data to a sports gambling company. Legalized wagering is a massive untapped revenue stream for college conferences. The short-term revenue will be in the low seven figures for each school.
The Pac-12 passed on expanding its membership in the summer of 2021.
San Diego State and SMU will make 12 teams. UCLA will play in the Final Four.
