We’re just a day away from the pomp and the circumstance, the burgers and the hot dogs, the fireworks and the patriotism of the 4th of July.

But if you’re anything like me, you’ve been celebrating the good ol’ red, white and blue for, oh, about 72 hours by now. What’s another 24 to wait?

In honor of our upcoming Independence Day, here are 76 things I love about the Pac-12…

76) The Rose Bowl Game

Sure, the game is about to be knocked down a peg in the expanded College Football Playoff era, but it still is and forever will be the Grandaddy Of Them All.

75) Heritage Hall

There are few places in college sports that make the hair on your skin raise like USC’s shrine to its success. It should be called Heisman Hall.

74) The Kilkenny Floor

One of the coolest views in the conference is courtside at the House Nike Built, Oregon’s Matthew Knight Arena.

73) Folsom Field during Ralphie’s Run

There are few traditions in college athletics that can rival watching Colorado’s mascot sprint at 25 MPH.

72) Las Vegas in mid-March

The Pac-12 Tournament is one of the best values in sports, particularly if you’re an Arizona fan in North Tucson AKA Sin City.

71) Las Vegas in early December

The new home of the Pac-12 football championship game, Las Vegas was once again an ideal host.

70) Autzen Stadium on a Saturday afternoon in October for Oregon-Washington football

One of college football’s low-key great rivalries.

69) Pauley Pavilion on a Thursday night in February for UCLA-Arizona basketball

This is what we’ll miss most when the Bruins leave for the Big Ten.

68) Hillenbrand Stadium on a Sunday morning in May for Arizona-Arizona State softball

It’s even worth it under the sweltering sun.

67) The Rose Bowl on the morning of New Year’s Day

Especially if you get there while there is still dew on the grass.

66) Top Dog in Berkeley before a Cal football game

Try the calabrese or the bockwurst.

65) Dick’s Drive-in in Seattle after a Washington football game

The best quick bite in the Pac-12.

64) Hires Big H in Salt Lake City for any Utes home game

If only for the root beer float.

63) Eegees in Tucson when its 120 degrees out

Just watch out for chunks of watermelon.

62) Sweet Cow for an ice cream treat in Boulder when its 80 degrees out

Ask for Larry’s Chocolate Peanut Butter Madness.

61) Diddy Reese for an ice cream sandwich in Westwood in any type of weather

Come on! They’re under $3 a piece!

60) Dave Durden

The Cal swimming and diving coach added a 12th Pac-12 coach of the year and 6th national championship in 2023.

59) Valorie Condos Field

The legendary “Miss Val,” UCLA’s long-time gymnastics coach guided the Bruins to 8 national team titles and coached 20 athletes to 36 NCAA individual titles as head and assistant coach.

58) Al Scates

The all-time winningest men’s volleyball coach, the 19-time national champion UCLA coach basically helped build the men’s game at the collegiate level.

57) Don James

Kalen DeBoer is reminding some folks up in Seattle of Husky legend James, who won 6 conference titles in 18 years with Washington, including 4 Rose Bowl wins.

56) Rod Dedeaux

Forget his historic tenure as USC head coach — which included 11 College World Series titles — Dedeaux was a consultant for some Hollywood’s great baseball movies, including Field of Dreams.

55) Lute Olson

This is a great stat: Olson has 46 NCAA tournament wins, one behind John Wooden and one ahead of Bob Knight.

54) The Pats — Murphy and Casey

Two of the Pac-12’s legendary baseball coaches, Oregon State’s Pat Casey and Arizona State’s Pat Murphy, combined for 10 conference Coach of the Year honors.

53) Terry Donahue

UCLA’s last great football coach led the Bruins to 5 conference titles, 3 Rose Bowl wins and a 151-74-8 record.

52) John McKay

Before there was Lincoln Riley or Pete Carroll there was McKay, who led USC to 8 Rose Bowls, winning five of them, and 4 national championships in only 16 seasons in Heritage Hall.

51) Mike Candrea

One of college athletics’ greatest coaches regardless of sport, Candrea led the Arizona softball team to 8 national championships in his tenure.

50) The Stanford Tree

The mascot: Tolerable. The band: Eh, not so much.

49) Oski the Bear

Cal’s affable Bear is absolutely hilarious.

48) The Oregon Duck

No, it is absolutely not Donald Duck.

47) Joe Bruin

Still kind of wish they still used live bears.

46) Ralphie the Buffalo

Still very glad they use a live buffalo.

45) Traveler

We’re on Traveler IX now. RIP to Travelers I through VIII.

44) Wilma and Wilbur Wildcat

Just get a room already.

43) Sparky

Forks Up is a great slogan for both Arizona State and you’re local all-you-can-eat rib joint.

42) Ka’Deem Carey with the ball and 3 yards before a linebacker

The Arizona running back had more than 4,000 career rushing yards and nearly 50 touchdowns in just 3 seasons.

41) Terrell Suggs with a snarl and a quarterback in his sights

A member of the Pac-12 All-Century Team, Suggs had an NCAA-record 24 sacks as a junior before a stellar professional career.

40) Mike Hass with a smile and a step on his defender

The Oregon State wideout was a terror to defensive backs, becoming the first player in conference history to have 3 consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

39) Tim Lincecum ahead in the count and nursing a 1-run lead

A two-time Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year and future 4-time MLB All-Star and 3-time World Series championship, Lincecum was dominant on the mound for Washington, winning the 2006 Golden Spikes Award.

38) Lisa Fernandez guessing right on a rise ball

Four times a first-team All-American, the UCLA two-way legend starred at the plate and in the pitcher’s circle, winning 3 Pac-12 Player of the Year awards.

37) Missy Franklin coming down the stretch with a commanding lead

A 4-time individual champion for Cal, Franklin was already an 4-time Olympic gold medalist before she joined the Bears.

36) Klay Thompson pulling up from deep and no one within closing distance

Before he was a 4-time NBA champion, Thompson was maybe the best shooter the league witnessed this century for Washington State.

35) Lisa Leslie capping off a brilliant fast break

Leslie averaged more than 20 points across 120 college games for USC, becoming the 1st 4-time 1st-team all-conference member.

34) Tiger Woods at the tee

Woods won his first collegiate event for Stanford, the 40th Annual William H. Tucker Invitational, and a year later at the age of 20, became the first golfer to win three consecutive U.S. Amateur titles and won the NCAA individual golf championship.

33) McKinley Wright IV busting out his Swiss Army Knife

The Colorado guard finished his career as the first player ever to achieve 1,800 points, 600 assists and 600 rebounds in Pac-12 history and was also named first-team All-Pac-12 three times.

32) Michelle Plouffe going up for a board

Utah’s all-time best rebounder and 2nd-leading scorer helped the program transition from the Mountain West to the Pac-12.

31) Steve Prefontaine going…and going…and going

It’s not often that a college long-distance runner has not one but 2 biopics made about him, but Pre was just that special for the Oregon Ducks.

30) The Territorial Cup

Arizona snapped a 5-game losing streak to Arizona State with a 38-35 win in last year’s game.

29) The Big Game

Cal and Stanford might not be very competitive on the football field these days, but they’re sure competitive against each other.

28) The Apple Cup

With a loaded Washington squad this year, Wazzu may be in the role of spoiler come late-November.

27) UCLA vs. Arizona men’s basketball

In iconic duel for years, between the two schools, they’ve won 67 conference championships.

26) Stanford vs. Arizona women’s basketball

A more recent matchup of top-rated Pac-12 programs, the Cardinal bested the Cats, 54-53, in the 2021 title game, one of the best women’s basketball finals of a all time.

25) The Civil War (even if we can’t call it that anymore)

The Ducks and Beavers have met 126 times, 5th-most in FBS history, with Oregon coming out on top 67 times. But don’t look now — Oregon State pulled off the big rivalry in in 2022.

24) UCLA vs. Utah gymnastics

Two of the great collegiate programs always put on a show in dual meets.

23) Arizona vs. UCLA softball

Basically the reason college softball exists.

22) Arizona vs. Arizona State basketball

It doesn’t really matter if the Wildcats are in the top 10, the Sun Devils are going to bring it, even at the last second.

21) The Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh

Sure, it’s not technically a Pac-12 game, but USC/Notre Dame feels like one. For another year, at least.

20) The Bush Push

And speaking of, does it get any more classic than when Trojan great Reggie Bush gave it a bit of extra effort against the Irish?

19) The Band is on the Field

Cal announcer Joe Starkey had a call for the ages when Stanford’s band ran on the field during Cal’s game-winning kick return in 1982, ruining John Elway’s day.

18) Tyus Edney’s coast-to-coast

Just when they counted UCLA out, Edney made it down the court and up and in, etching 4.8 seconds in UCLA lore.

17) Marcus Mariota and the quest for perfection

The Oregon star quarterback had just 5 losses in his career but never could win the big one. He’d have to settle for a Heisman Trophy.

16) Caleb Williams goes for two

Speaking of Heismans, can Williams run it back this year for the first time since Ohio State running back Archie Griffin?

15) The league’s loaded 2023 QB class

Williams or Oregon stud Bo Nix? Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. or Utah’s Cam Rising? You can’t go wrong with any of them.

14) Sanders brings Prime Time to Boulder

The Pac-12 got a much-needed jolt of electricity this offseason with Coach Prime’s arrival with Colorado, one year after Riley’s splash landing at USC.

13) The Bronny Show

USC head men’s basketball coach Andy Enfield pulled off one of the coups of the recruiting cycle with the signing of Bronny James, who joins top-3 guard Isaiah Collier and returning top-3 scorer Boogie Ellis to form what should be a terrific core.

12) Utah gunning for back-to-back-to-back

Winning 3 straight Pac-12 titles would be a rare feat for Kyle Whittingham and the Utes — no team has done so since Oregon from 2009-11.

11) Coaching youth movement

Between Oregon’s Dan Lanning, Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham and USC’s Riley, the conference is getting younger at the top.

10) Stanford’s budding baseball powerhouse

The Cardinal haven’t quite gotten over the hump — but they’re getting close. Keep an eye on catcher Malcolm Moore.

9) One more go-round

Can you believe we only have one more year left with UCLA and USC?

8) Bill Walton — everything about Bill Walton

The UCLA legend turned NBA great turned wise sage of Woodenisms is the singular voice of the Pac-12.

7) They’re No. 1

Seventeen Pac-12 football players, including 4 Stanford quarterbacks, have been drafted 1st overall, as have 7 baseball players and 6 men’s basketball players.

6) So many championships

The conference of champions has produced 553 national titles, 254 more than the next closest conference, the Big Ten.

5) Point Guard U.

From Steve Kerr to Damon Stoudamire to Mike Bibby to Jason Terry to Jason Gardner to Gilbert Arenas to Salim Stoudamire to T.J. McConnell — the list of great Arizona point guards goes on and on and on…

4) Tailback U.

Mike Garrett and O.J. Simpson. Charles White and Marcus Allen. LenDale White and Reggie Bush. USC’s history at the running back position might as well be college football’s history at the running back position.

3) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Quite possibly the most dominant collegiate athlete of all time, the then-named Lew Alcindor was a 3-time national player of the year, a 3-time unanimous first-team All-American and 3-time Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament.

2) Tara VanDerveer

It doesn’t get much better than the Stanford coach, who has been at the helm for all but one season since 1985 and guided the Cardinal to 3 national titles.

1) John Wooden and his Pyramid of Success

The Pac-12 — and all of college basketball — begins and ends with John Wooden. His principles remain some of the foundations of coaching, in college or otherwise. Remember: be quick but don’t hurry.