Pac-12 After Dark is so back: Ranking 4 future matchups

The Pac-12 is making a comeback! College football fans who loved to stay up late on the East Coast and enjoy wacky, tight games on the West Coast won't have to wait too much longer for the return of "Pac-12 After Dark."

The once-thought-defunct conference announced Sept. 12 that it was adding four schools from the Mountain West Conference — Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State and San Diego State — as early as 2026.

What were previously entertaining non-conference schedule games will now enter the fray as potential classics and newborn rivalries. Let's explore some of those here:

Washington State v. Boise State

The Cougars and Broncos haven't faced one another since the 2017 season, when Washington State won a high-scoring thriller 47-44. Overall, Boise State has only ever won once in the series' history (2016) and the two teams have played just six times since first meeting in 1997.

It's roughly a six-hour drive between campuses in Boise, Idaho and Pullman, Washington. So, travel won't be much of an issue on game weeks. The two teams will look a lot different come 2026 as player turnover will naturally take its course. But as is evident from the 2024 campaign, both programs are playing high-caliber football against high-quality opponents, so fans can expect some high-stakes play in two years time.

Oregon State v. Boise State

The Beavers and Broncos have played 10 times in program history, with the first meeting coming in 1986. Oregon State leads the tight series 6-4, winning the most recent faceoff 34-17 in 2022. So, there could be the makings of an interesting rivalry brewing between these two.

Corvallis, OR is just slightly farther away from Boise — about an eight-hour drive — so there's a possibility a short flight might be employed to make the trips. But the market proximities will surely offer valuable opportunities to sell the scheduled matchups as must-watch television. Oregon State is hardly a program in decline either, so the quality of play will surely reflect such a billing.

San Diego State v. Washington State

The Aztecs and Cougars have only ever played twice before, leaving the first time they meet again in 2026 as the rubber match to set the tone going forward in the series. Washington State won the first meeting 45-17 in 2007 and San Diego State got its revenge 42-24 in 2011.

Kick-starting this series up again should draw some decently sized audiences (provided the games don't always start at 10 or 11 p.m. ET). San Diego State is known for its high-scoring offenses but things are off to a bit of a slow start under fourth-year head coach Brady Hoke. If things turn around by 2026, this game will be appointment television.

Oregon State v. Fresno State

This matchup has legitimate rivalry material to it. The Beavers and Bulldogs have met 14 times since first meeting in 1981. Believe it or not, Fresno State leads the all-time series 8-6 but lost the most recent matchup 35-32 in 2022. It was the first time the teams had played one another since 2003.

Both teams are accustomed to high-scoring shootouts when facing off, with only one matchup featuring less than 20 points scored by both teams. Only four of the 14 meetings have finished within one score but two of those came from the most recent matchups. So, fans can expect some more high-drama games out of these two programs in the near future.