Pac-12 athletic department ratings from conference analyst are on the mark
With the college basketball season now over, it’s a good time to step back and evaluate the performance of each Pac-12 athletic director. Just how well have the various Pac-12 athletic departments managed their resources? It’s a topic which will elicit various opinions, if only because each athletic department is not operating with the same budget, the same amount of resources, the same level of publicity, and the same degree of leverage within the Pac-12.
When combining football with men’s and women’s basketball, just how well are athletic departments doing in the Pac-12? Oregon State was amazing in football, not so much in hoops. UCLA was great in men’s basketball, good in women’s hoops and football. Oregon and Washington were strong in football, not that strong in basketball. How should one assess performance? Jon Wilner of the Wilner Hotline has his rankings and his explanations of said rankings. It’s worth a read, just like anything else Wilner produces.
UTAH UTES
Nov 5, 2022; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes running back Tavion Thomas (9) runs the ball against Arizona Wildcats defensive lineman Kyon Barrs (92) in the fourth quarter at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports
All facts and comments in these 12 athletic department profiles come from Jon Wilner’s article:
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Football: 10-4 overall, 7-2 in conference, won Pac-12 title (second consecutive), lost in the Rose Bowl
Men’s basketball: 17-15 overall, 10-10 in conference, lost in opening round of Pac-12 tournament
Women’s basketball: 27-5 overall, 15-3 in conference, shared regular-season title, lost in quarterfinals of Pac-12 tournament, lost in Sweet 16 of NCAAs
FY2022 operating expenses: $111.9 million (source: Utah)
USC TROJANS
Jan 2, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley reacts during the first half against the Tulane Green Wave in the 2023 Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
From Wilner:
No school won at USC’s level across all three sports with the New Year’s Six appearance and two NCAA Tournament bids. We favored Utah in the power ratings because of the disparity in budgets — our estimate for the Trojans is intended to be conservative — which more than offset USC’s clear edge in men’s basketball success. The best collective year for USC’s three sports in ages.
OREGON STATE BEAVERS
Dec 17, 2022; Las Vegas, NV, USA; The Oregon State Beavers celebrate with the Las Vegas Bowl trophy after defeating the Florida Gators 30-3 at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports
From Wilner:
This placement is entirely about the stellar season on the football field, where the Beavers won 10 games for the first time since the 2006 season. For departments on the lower end of the resource spectrum, football is vastly more difficult to navigate successfully than basketball — OSU’s wins-per-dollar ratio in that area is absolutely first-class. Had either basketball program made the NCAAs, the Beavers might have been No. 1.
WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS
Mar 5, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington State Cougars celebrate the win over the UCLA Bruins to win the Pac-12 Conference Tournament Championship at Michelob Arena. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-USA TODAY Sports
Football: 7-6 overall, 4-5 in conference, lost in the Alamo Bowl
Men’s basketball: 17-17 overall, 11-9 in conference, lost in quarterfinals of Pac-12 tournament , lost in first round of the NIT
Women’s basketball: 23-11 overall, 9-9 in conference, won Pac-12 tournament, lost in first round of NCAAs
FY2022 operating expenses: $84.5 million (source: WSU)
UCLA BRUINS
Mar 23, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin stands with guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (24) during the second half of the game against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Wilner:
We gave serious consideration to slotting UCLA above Washington State based on the marked disparity in men’s basketball success and two more wins on the field. But this is a subjective assessment, and the $50 million difference in expenditures (approximately) is significant. That said, the Bruins, like USC, experienced their best showing across all three sports in years.
ARIZONA WILDCATS
Mar 10, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Azuolas Tubelis (10) shoots over Arizona State Sun Devils guard Devan Cambridge (35) during the second half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Wilner:
We contemplated a lower position for the Wildcats but ultimately determined their immense improvement on the field — following two abysmal years — should account for more than the mere five victories suggest. The stunning loss to Princeton entered into our calculation but didn’t change Arizona’s position. The department’s budget was a bit surprising (on the high side) and seemingly represents an enhanced university commitment that should support long-haul success.
WASHINGTON HUSKIES
Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) lines up the offense for a snap against Texas during the Alamo Bowl at the Alamodome, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022 in San Antonio.
Wilner:
The Huskies were similar to Oregon, right down to the scant 6% disparity in expenses and the three-point difference on the field. With UW’s slightly better football record and Oregon’s slightly lower expenditures, you could make the case the schools should be tied … except we hate ties. The glaring issue on Montlake moving forward is men’s basketball, which should be one of the top four or five programs in the conference.
OREGON DUCKS
Oct 22, 2022; Eugene, Oregon, USA; Oregon Ducks wide receiver Troy Franklin (11) celebrates with quarterback Bo Nix (10) after catching a touchdown pass during the first half against the UCLA Bruins at Autzen Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports
Wilner:
Football success was impressive but just short of the top tier; the Ducks didn’t qualify for the conference championship or reach the New Year’s Six. However, the twin regression by the basketball programs guided our calculation when comparing the Ducks to departments ranked above them. The more you spend, the more difficult the wins-per-dollar road becomes to navigate. That said, we view Arizona, Oregon and Washington as effectively interchangeable in these rankings.
COLORADO BUFFALOES
Feb 23, 2023; Boulder, Colorado, USA; General view inside of the Coors Events Center prior to the game between the USC Trojans against the Colorado Buffaloes. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Wilner:
The outlook for football is obviously much brighter, but these ratings are reflective, not predictive. And on the field, CU was awful. Two pieces kept the Buffaloes from challenging for the bottom tier: The success of women’s basketball, and the relatively low expenditures. The Buffs are not a big-budget operation — only OSU and WSU spent less — although their commitment to football is clearly on the rise.
ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS
Mar 9, 2023; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Warren Washington (22) plays against the USC Trojans during the first half at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Wilner:
It would have been a dreary sports season for the Sun Devils — we all know what went wrong with football — if not for men’s basketball reaching the NCAAs. And in that regard, we submit that no single moment meant more to any school than Desmond Cambridge’s 60-foot heave to beat Arizona. Without that shot, the Devils might not have made the NCAAs, and the collective performance of the three teams would look even darker when cast against the expenditures.
STANFORD CARDINAL
Feb 17, 2023; Stanford, California, USA; Stanford Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer reacts during the first half of the game against the USC Trojans at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
Wilner:
As with USC, our budget estimate is intended to be conservative. And even if it’s high, the outlay would not offset a poor showing in the two revenue-driving sports. Football’s collapse and the ongoing mediocrity of the men’s basketball program have helped propel Stanford into the land of the utterly irrelevant (both locally and regionally). As with Cal, success and failure start at the top.
CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS
Dec 31, 2022; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears forward Lars Thiemann (21) and Colorado Buffaloes center Lawson Lovering (34) battle for a loose ball during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
Wilner:
We get it: These are difficult times for the academically-oriented universities, especially with the transfer portal and NIL. (And COVID was particularly rough on the Bay Area schools because of absurdly stringent local health restrictions.) But that doesn’t fully excuse the collective downturn in Berkeley, which has hauled Cal to depths not previously seen by its two major sports. The Bears are a mess.
