Some of the more recent traditions in the Pac-12 include missing the College Football Playoff, losing members to the Big Ten and worrying about unresolved media rights that could result in games airing on public-access channels instead of ESPN or one of the major networks.
The longstanding traditions reflect better on the conference. You can even make the case for the Pac-12 having a few of the best traditions in the Football Bowl Subdivision, beginning with the majesty of seeing Colorado’s live mascot race onto Folsom Field at clips higher than the posted speed limits on campus.
The Pac-12 doesn’t have the depth of tradition to match the rest of the Power Five, and the pickings will get even slimmer with Southern California’s move next summer to the Big Ten.
But with two live mascots and the rare marriage of college football and boating, the league shines at the very top.
Tier One: Buffaloes, horses and boats
Colorado
Running with Ralphie − On-field success comes and goes for Colorado. Win or lose, though, the Buffaloes have the best live mascot in the country and one of the best traditions in Ralphie the Buffalo’s pregame run. Ralphie − a female bison, not a buffalo − will be led by as many as five handlers in a horseshoe pattern around the field, reaching speeds as high as 25 miles per hour. (Told once that Ralphie didn’t look to be running quickly, former Colorado sports information director David Plati responded, “Look at the humans.”) The most successful mascot has been Ralphie III, who reigned from Sept. 26, 1987, to Nov. 28, 1997. Colorado went 55-16-2 in games when she ran, including a 48-12-2 mark at home. The Buffaloes are 6-18 since the debut of Nebraska-born Ralphie VI on Sept. 1, 2021.
Washington
Lakeside “sailgating” − Three schools offer fans the chance to “sailgate,” or tailgate by boat: Baylor, Tennessee and Washington. But while the Bears and Volunteers play on the banks of the Brazos and Tennessee rivers, respectfully, Husky Stadium is placed right on the lip of Lake Washington, giving the Huskies perhaps the most majestic backdrop in college football. That’s where former UW coach Steve Sarkisian would pull up and park his own boat, which he named “Noah Sark.”
BEST COLLEGE FOOTBALL TRADITIONS: SEC | Big Ten | Big 12 | ACC
Southern California
Traveler – Like so many other historically dominant programs, USC has no shortage of memorable traditions. One that could work here is the two-finger salute with roots in the original Trojans, who according to Homer would cut off the first two fingers of their defeated enemies’ right hands to prevent them from holding a sword. But let’s go with Traveler, the noble white steed that has galloped to the sounds of “Conquest” at USC home games since 1961. In 2010, the school built a Traveler statue across from the famous Tommy Trojan in the heart of campus.
Tier Two: The dense middle of the pack
Arizona
“Bear Down” − Arizona has its own “win one for the Gipper” tale, one that predates the famous Notre Dame story by two years and one that, as with the Fighting Irish, may have been embellished for motivational reasons. Here goes: Way back in October 1926, starting quarterback John Byrd “Button” Salmon was in a car accident that shattered his spine and left him paralyzed. Two weeks later, he’d die from his injuries. But Salmon spent the night before his death with Arizona coach Pop McKale, who asked if he had anything to share with his teammates. “Tell the team to bear down,” Salmon said, per McKale, and the school slogan was born.
Arizona State
Giving the “Forks Up” − How do you give a “Forks Up,” the official hand signal of ASU athletics? That’s easy: Just open your hand, bring your ring finger down to your palm and place the finger under your thumb. Hey, you just made a trident!
Oregon
“Shout” − Oregon has the rotation of jersey changes and an elite mascot in the Duck. But one of the program’s oldest traditions comes between the third and fourth quarters at Autzen Stadium, when fans sing the song “Shout” from the 1978 movie “Animal House,” which was filmed on campus in Eugene.
Washington State
The “GameDay” flag − Washington State fans are known to set a thing or two ablaze after big wins, which is a pretty awesome but also pretty dangerous tradition. But even more casual college football fans might know about the ubiquitous WSU flag that has flown in the background of every episode of ESPN’s “College GameDay” for over 20 seasons. The tradition began in 2003 with a graduate living in New Mexico, who drove a homemade flag about 800 miles to the set before Texas hosted Kansas State.
Tier Three: Meh
California
Fixing the stadium − There’s seemingly always one thing or another being addressed at California Memorial Stadium, including more recent renovations meant to address the stadium’s place atop the Hayward Fault Zone, which runs lengthwise at just about midfield. Construction completed in time for the 2012 season placed a block along the fault meant to prevent any surface ruptures in case of an earthquake.
Oregon State
The “First Down” song − Just about every home team does something to celebrate a first down. At Oregon State’s Reser Stadium, every first down is joined by the band’s playing of a short chord progression taken from “La Fiesta Mexicana” by the American composer H. Owen Reed. One thing we all wish was an OSU tradition is finding ancient mammoth bones while refurbishing the stadium, but that’s only happened once.
Stanford
Walking to the stadium − For about a century, players and coaches have walked from the school’s sports center to the stadium’s Gate 1 through a crowd of enthusiastic supporters. Sometimes, those supporters will even follow the team through any one of the various gates and actually watch the Cardinal play, though this can be a rarer occurrence.
UCLA
Watching from home − Anyone who has tried to get from downtown Los Angeles to the Rose Bowl at almost any time of day, but especially on game day, can understand this tradition. UCLA ranked 53rd nationally in attendance last season with an average of 41,593 fans per home game. That average falls to 37,410 if you remove the marquee rivalry against Southern California, which would drop the Bruins to 61st in the FBS. The team’s average stadium capacity of 51.6% ranked 112th in the country.
Utah
The “Block U” − This one’s pretty simple: There’s an enormous letter “U” on a hillside just north of campus that lights up after wins. The letter is 30 feet tall with a surface area of over 5,000 square feet. The installation was refurbished in 2006 at a cost of $400,000.
