The Pac-12 Has the Name. The American Has the Floor.
Texas State fans spent the offseason celebrating a Pac-12 invitation. Fair enough, it is a big name. But on Sept. 12, UTSA went to San Marcos and won 31-26, rallying with a Brandon High Jr. 25-yard touchdown run in the final seconds. Two weeks later the Roadrunners hung 59 on Colorado State. So which league is actually better in 2026: the rebuilt Pac-12 or the American? We put both through seven categories, using the same time window for both sides and only current members.
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The scorecard
Scoring is simple: each category winner gets 1 point, a tie gives each side 0.5.
| Category (window) | American | Pac-12 | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Win-loss: non-conference record (2026, games through Nov. 1) | 28-25 (.528) | 15-17 (.469) | American |
| Strength of schedule: average FPI SOS rank, lower is harder (Nov. 2) | 93.1 | 74.8 | Pac-12 |
| Media money per school | About $9.2M per full member, all conference distributions (most recent available Form 990) | Not disclosed; estimates about $7-10M | Tie |
| Head-to-head (2026 only) | 2-3 | 3-2 | Pac-12 |
| vs. Power Four + Notre Dame (2026) | 1-12 | 0-12 | American |
| Computer ratings: average SP+ (Week 10) / FPI (Nov. 2) | -4.87 / -6.12 | -2.26 / -2.26 | Pac-12 |
| Recruiting (2026 class, 247Sports Composite avg. national rank) + NFL picks (2024-26 drafts) | 106.5; 15 picks (1.07 per school) | 83.5; 14 picks (1.75 per school) | Pac-12 |
| Total | 2.5 | 4.5 | Pac-12 |
Credit where it is due: the Pac-12 has the stronger top
No spin here. Boise State is the best team in either league by the computers: +11.1 in Bill Connelly’s SP+ (Week 10) and 11.09 in FPI. Oregon State (+5.2) and Fresno State (+4.7) give the Pac-12 a solid top three. The Pac-12 also played the tougher schedule (average FPI SOS rank 74.8 vs. 93.1), owns the 2026 head-to-head series 3-2 (Boise State 38-20 over Memphis, Texas State 49-35 over North Texas, Fresno State 38-24 over Rice), recruited better on average (83.5 vs. 106.5 in the 247Sports Composite) and produced more NFL picks per school over the last three drafts (1.75 vs. 1.07). On averages, the Pac-12 leads SP+ (-2.26 vs. -4.87) and FPI (-2.26 vs. -6.12).
Best vs. best: the eight matchups
We lined up both leagues by SP+ rank, best against best. The number is the projected margin on a neutral field (the SP+ difference). These are not predictions.
| Pac-12 team (SP+) | American team (SP+) | Neutral-field projected margin |
|---|---|---|
| Boise State (+11.1) | Memphis (+8.9) | Boise State by 2.2 |
| Oregon State (+5.2) | USF (+3.3) | Oregon State by 1.9 |
| Fresno State (+4.7) | UTSA (+2.9) | Fresno State by 1.8 |
| Texas State (+1.9) | North Texas (+0.8) | Texas State by 1.1 |
| Utah State (-7.1) | Army (-1.2) | Army by 5.9 |
| San Diego State (-8.6) | Tulsa (-2.9) | Tulsa by 5.7 |
| Colorado State (-10.9) | East Carolina (-3.3) | East Carolina by 7.6 |
| Washington State (-14.4) | Navy (-4.0) | Navy by 10.4 |
That is a 4-4 split. The Pac-12 wins the top four, all by close margins. The American wins the bottom four, all by more than five points. Fresno State vs. UTSA is a toss-up that the computers lean Fresno on. Just note that UTSA is 7-1 to Fresno State’s 5-3, and UTSA is already 2-0 against the Pac-12 this season (31-26 at Texas State on Sept. 12, 59-45 over Colorado State on Sept. 26).
The American’s case: depth, dollars and results
Depth. The American has 14 football members to the Pac-12’s 8, and the matchup table shows what that means: the middle and bottom of the American beat the middle and bottom of the Pac-12 comfortably.
Results. Against everybody outside their own leagues, American teams are 28-25. Pac-12 teams are 15-17. And the only Power Four win between the two leagues belongs to the American: Tulsa 24, Oklahoma State 10 on Sept. 5. The Pac-12 is 0-12 against the Power Four (Utah State came closest, losing 16-14 to Washington).
Money. The American’s media deal was reported at about $1 billion over 12 years (2020-21 through 2031-32), about $83 million a year. The conference’s most recent available IRS Form 990 lists $65,239,000 in TV and radio rights and $126,769,924 in total support to 15 schools. Leave out Wichita State (no football) and Army (football-only), and full members averaged about $9.2 million. ECU ($12.64M), USF ($12.45M) and Memphis ($11.99M) top the list, and UTSA got $6.92M. One caveat: that number covers all conference distributions (TV plus postseason and NCAA money), not TV alone. The Pac-12 has not disclosed its per-school TV figure. Reported estimates run from about $7 million to $10 million, and one U.S. senator claimed $10 million to $12 million. Since nobody can verify the Pac-12 side, we scored this category a tie.
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Fornelli. Not every computer agrees with SP+. Tom Fornelli’s ratings (CBS) start every team even, with no preseason expectations, and 0 is the average of all 138 FBS teams. Through Week 9, current American members average -49.0 and Pac-12 members -54.0. The medians are -54.7 and -58.7. The American also has four teams in Fornelli’s top 51: Memphis (No. 41, 60.3), UTSA (No. 43, 51.1), North Texas (No. 45, 49.5) and USF (No. 51, 40.5). The Pac-12 has two that high: Oregon State (No. 36, 70.6) and Boise State (No. 44, 50.2). After that it drops to Fresno State at No. 69 and Texas State at No. 79 (-22.2).
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The verdict
By our seven-category count, the Pac-12 wins 4.5 to 2.5. That comes from Boise State, a tougher schedule, better recruiting and the head-to-head series. But look underneath: the American has the better non-conference record, the only Power Four win, more money per school on the books, and the edge in a résumé computer that ignores preseason hype. The Pac-12 is the better league at the top. The American is the better league from top to bottom.
The Pac-12 has the name. The American has the floor.
So which matters more to you: the best team or the best league top to bottom? Tell us on X.
How we measured (windows)
- Win-loss and vs. Power Four: 2026 regular-season games completed through Nov. 1, 2026. Members: American (14) Army, Charlotte, ECU, FAU, Memphis, Navy, North Texas, Rice, USF, Temple, Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UTSA; Pac-12 (8) Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Texas State, Utah State, Washington State.
- Strength of schedule and FPI: FPI data updated Nov. 2, 2026.
- SP+: Week 10 ratings, checked Nov. 2, 2026.
- Fornelli Ratings: through Week 9 (posted Nov. 1, 2026).
- Head-to-head: 2026 season only. Earlier seasons are left out because the Pac-12 had different members then.
- Recruiting: 2026 class, 247Sports Composite national team ranks. NFL picks: 2024, 2025 and 2026 drafts, current members only.
- Money: per-school distributions from the American’s most recent available Form 990, plus the deal’s reported value; Pac-12 per-school figures are estimates only. Scored as a tie.
- Massey composite ratings could not be pulled, so FPI is used as the second computer rating.
Sources
- The American: 2026 football standings
- Pac-12: USA Sports partnership and membership
- ESPN: American standings
- ESPN: Pac-12 standings
- ESPN FPI and strength of schedule
- ESPN: Bill Connelly SP+ rankings
- Cleatz: SP+ Week 10 table (copy of Bill Connelly’s SP+)
- Tom Fornelli: Fornelli Ratings sheet
- Tom Fornelli on X: ratings through Week 9
- SA Snap Count on X: TV deals
- SA Snap Count on X: American Form 990 distributions
- Sports Business Journal: American-ESPN deal
- AP via FOX Sports: American 12-year deal
- Seattle Times (Jon Wilner): Pac-12 revenue estimate
- Cache Valley Daily: Pac-12 and MW media deals
- Nevada Sports Net: Cantwell Pac-12 claim
- 247Sports: 2026 composite team rankings
- ESPN: NFL Draft results (2024-2026)
- UTSA Football on X: 31-26 win at Texas State
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