Ron Rivera, Cal alum, shares disappointment with teams leaving Pac-12

Ron Rivera, current head coach for the Washington Commanders, recently voiced his frustrations with the current state of college football.

Rivera, who played at California, lamented the fact that the Pac-12 will soon be losing most of its members. Rivera expressed concern over West Coast football losing its “prominence” on a national stage.

Rivera: “I’m really disappointed. My concern is West Coast football has lost its prominence and the primary West Coast teams that helped bring a lot of prominence have left a lot of people high and dry. Imagine the outrage if that happened to the SEC or ACC.” https://t.co/OX2o3CvcTh

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) August 19, 2023

Rivera is referencing the recent realignment chatter. After shuffling by the major players, the Pac-12 is left with just Washington State, Oregon State, Cal, and Stanford for 2024 and beyond. There are rumors that Cal and Stanford are interested in joining the ACC, and Oregon State and Washington could merge with the Mountain West.

Rivera was a star linebacker for the Golden Bears in the early 80s. He went on to have a successful NFL career before transitioning to coaching.