In a major move for college sports, the new Pac-12 and USA Sports have agreed to a five-year media partnership that will put the conference’s regular-season football and basketball inventory on USA Network. The deal comes with the launch of the new Pac-12, beginning with the 2026-27 season, and pairs the re-formed conference with the NBCU spinoff, guaranteeing broad national exposure and a serious push to compete with big players in college football on and off the field.
As the cable home of Pac-12 sports, USA Network gets rights to approximately 22 regular-season Pac-12 football games and around 50 men’s basketball match-ups annually, along with women’s basketball coverage. The move adds to the Pac-12’s existing distribution through CBS and The CW.
“The new Pac-12 is where tradition meets transformation — a unique opportunity in the rapidly-evolving college sports landscape that strongly aligns with the go-forward vision of USA Sports,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould. “We are thrilled to launch this partnership with the USA Sports team and leverage our shared vision to build something unique and special.”
Back in June, the Pac-12 extended its partnership with Paramount’s CBS Sports through the 2030–31 season. Under the terms, CBS Sports will cover the annual Pac-12 football championship game and the men’s basketball tournament title game. Additionally, the deal guarantees a minimum of three regular-season football games and three men’s basketball games each season. Games will appear on CBS or CBS Sports Network, with each simulstreaming on Paramount+.
Later in August, the Pac-12 continued to expand its broadcast network footprint by extending its CW deal through the 2030–31 season. Under the terms of the agreement, The CW is home to 13 regular-season football games per year, 35 men’s basketball games, and 15 women’s basketball games. It will also air the women’s basketball tournament semifinal and championship games. Production for all these events will be handled by Pac-12 Enterprises
Earlier this week, Versant launched its USA Sports division, which will house the company’s live sports lineup. The Pac-12 joins the WNBA, WWE, NASCAR, PGA Tour, Premier League, and more in a roster of 10,000+ hours of live sports programming and coverage.
With the Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, and SEC all commanding major rights deals elsewhere, adding the new Pac-12 gives USA Sports top-tier athletic coverage. Member schools in the 2026 relaunch include a strong lineup of major college sports programs: Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Oregon State, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State, and Washington State. By adding USA Sports, member schools strengthen their national exposure, which elevates recruiting, donor support, and brand awareness.
“USA Sports is proud to partner with the new Pac-12 and showcase the league to a national audience on USA Network,” said Matt Hong, President of USA Sports. “Our partnership further establishes USA Network as a destination for all sports fans, with weekends packed with Pac-12 football doubleheaders and men’s and women’s basketball double- and triple-headers beginning next fall.”
As the reborn conference looks to one day rejoin the upper echelon of college football, its latest deal means more games are available on network TV, in prime windows, and across devices and platforms, including Paramount+, Sling TV, Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and DIRECTV.
