You've probably noticed the Pac-12 hasn't exactly been a "conference" lately. It's basically been two schools—Oregon State and Washington State—holding down the fort while everyone else bolted for bigger paychecks. Because of that, the pac 12 football championship location has been a ghost town for the last couple of seasons.
But things are changing fast. Honestly, if you're looking for where the title game is being played right now in early 2026, the answer is nowhere. It doesn't exist for the 2025 season. But don't click away yet, because the rebuild is officially happening, and the map for the future is already being drawn.
Where is the Pac-12 Football Championship Location going in 2026?
Let's get the big news out of the way first. The Pac-12 is coming back as a full-fledged league on July 1, 2026. They've grabbed Boise State, San Diego State, Fresno State, Colorado State, Utah State, and most recently, Texas State. This expansion means the conference title game is being reinstated for the 2026 season.
So, where will they play?
Commissioner Teresa Gould has been pretty open about the fact that they're talking to multiple cities. Historically, the pac 12 football championship location was Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas from 2021 to 2023. It was a hit. The 2023 game between Washington and Oregon was electric.
🔗 Read more: Texas vs Oklahoma Football Game: Why the Red River Rivalry is Getting Even Weirder
Vegas is the frontrunner for 2026. It makes too much sense. It’s a neutral site, fans love traveling there, and the stadium is world-class. However, there’s a quiet whisper among some athletic directors about returning to the "on-campus" model for the first year of the new era.
Think about it. If Boise State finishes #1 and hosts the title game at the Blue Turf, the atmosphere would be insane. It would be a massive middle finger to the "Power 4" schools that left. But money usually wins, and money points toward a neutral site like Las Vegas or even Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, which hosted the game from 2014 to 2019.
Why the venue choice matters for the "New" Pac-12
Choosing the right pac 12 football championship location isn't just about finding a field with enough seats. It's about optics. The "new" Pac-12 needs to prove it still belongs in the national conversation.
The conference recently signed a media deal with CBS and The CW for 2026. That’s huge. If they put the championship game in a half-empty NFL stadium, it looks bad on TV. If they put it in a packed 35,000-seat stadium on a member campus, the energy translates better to the viewers at home.
💡 You might also like: How to watch vikings game online free without the usual headache
Recent History of Host Sites
- 2021–2023: Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, NV)
- 2020: L.A. Coliseum (Los Angeles, CA - Home of USC due to COVID)
- 2014–2019: Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA)
- 2011–2013: Higher Seed’s Home Stadium
The move to Vegas in 2021 was a turning point. Attendance jumped from the mid-30,000s in Santa Clara to over 61,000 for the last two games. Fans actually showed up. That’s why many experts believe the Pac-12 will try to crawl back to Vegas, even if they have to share the spotlight with the Mountain West or other events.
The Texas State factor and geographic shifts
With Texas State joining as the eighth football member, the geographic footprint of the conference has shifted significantly to the east. San Marcos is a long way from Corvallis.
Does this mean the pac 12 football championship location could move to Texas? Probably not yet. But it does open up the possibility of rotating the game. Arlington’s AT&T Stadium is always looking for content. If the conference continues to expand toward the Central Time Zone, don't be surprised if the "Western" conference ends up playing its biggest game in the South.
What to expect for the 2026 announcement
We expect a formal announcement on the 2026 pac 12 football championship location by late summer 2026, just as the new schools officially join.
📖 Related: Liechtenstein National Football Team: Why Their Struggles are Different Than You Think
Currently, the conference is focused on scheduling. They have to figure out how eight teams—and potentially more if they snag someone like UNLV or a couple of AAC schools—will play each other. Once the schedule is locked, the venue contract is the next big domino.
Keep an eye on the College Football Playoff (CFP) meetings too. Since the Pac-12 won't have "Autonomous" status anymore, they are fighting for a guaranteed spot for their champion. The prestige of the championship site will play a role in how the CFP committee views the league's strength.
Actionable Steps for Fans
- Wait to book: Don't book any "Championship Weekend" travel for December 2026 yet. The league hasn't officially signed a stadium contract.
- Watch the Mountain West: The Pac-12 and Mountain West are currently in a legal and logistical tug-of-war. If they end up merging or sharing resources, the championship could be a joint-site venture.
- Follow Teresa Gould: The Commissioner is the primary source for venue updates. Her interviews with Jon Wilner or John Canzano usually drop the biggest hints about where the money is flowing.
The Pac-12 isn't dead. It's just in a very long halftime. When the players come back out for the 2026 season, the stage they play on will tell us everything we need to know about the future of West Coast football.