The Pac-12 is in a fascinating place heading into the 2022 season.

After several years of Stanford dominance, Washington and Oregon State have seized the momentum. UCLA(m) finally returned to the national conversation and was in the NCAA tournament last fall. They’ll look to contend in the upcoming campaign for conference honors.

The Huskies made it all the way to last fall’s national championship game, falling short against Clemson. With improving sides at California and San Diego State, the upcoming campaign could be one of the most competitive in recent memory.

2021 Standings

Oregon State (14-2-4, 7-1-2)

Washington(m) (18-2-2, 6-1-2)

UCLA(m) (11-7-1, 5-4-1)

Stanford (6-6-6, 2-4-4)

San Diego State(m) (8-7-2, 2-7)

California (3-9-3, 1-6-1)

2021 Individual Awards

Player of the Year: Sofiane Djeffal, Oregon State

Offensive Player of the Year: Tyrone Mondi, Oregon State

Defensive Player of the Year: Joran Gerbet, Oregon State

Coach of the Year: Terry Boss, Oregon State

California

After longtime Head Coach Kevin Grimes retired, Leonard Griffin was hired in his place. Cal has some work to do in order to truly improve, though the transfer addition of Nonso Adimabua could provide a quick improvement in the attack.

Oregon State

After putting together an exceptionally strong 2021 season, that ended on the cusp of sending two teams to the College Cup, head coach Terry Boss has some big holes to fill. Tyrone Mondi, Sofiane Djeffal and Tsiki Ntsabeleng all moved on and are playing with MLS organizations. Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Joran Gerbet headlines the returnees, and Boss has put together a big class full of internationals. Players from Spain, Argentina, France, Ethiopia and Luxembourg are among the newcomers, and their level of play will play a big role in success this season.

San Diego State(m)

The Aztecs made solid progress in the 2021 season under Ryan Hopkins, excelling in the non-conference portion of the schedule before battling in Pac-12 play. The No. 1 recruiting class has been brought in, which injects more talent into the already-improving program. Of course, the next step is getting the players on the same page, clicking and showing consistency at a high level.

Stanford

Expect to see more of the same from Stanford as in previous years: tough to break down, lethal on set pieces and looking to punish opposition mistakes. Head Coach Jeremy Gunn has proven the ability to identify goal scorers from obscure sources in the past and he’ll need to do so again after Ousseni Bouda and Zach Ryan have moved on to the professional level. Keegan Tingey and Keegan Hughes will be critical at the back, with Mark Fisher and Cameron Cilley looking to control the midfield. Once they idenfity some offense – and Carlo Agostinelli is a leading candidate – the Cardinal should be a handful once again.

UCLA(m)

Like San Diego State, the talent on the roster has made massive strides in Westwood, as Head Coach Ryan Jorden has rebuilt the program. After last fall’s NCAA Tournament appearance, the program is sure to be hunger for more. Midfielder Tucker Lepley is one of a slew of talented returning players that will provide a formidable spine. Pietro Grassi, Tommy Silva and Aaron Edwards will all be key players as well.

Washington(m)

Rebuilding a back line is going to be the big focus for the Huskies in the upcoming season, as UW’s four minutes leaders in defense are all with pro teams. Goalkeeper Sam Fowler’s return should help that, and Head Coach Jamie Clark has repeatedly shown the ability to put together great defenses, and the combination should be in place sooner rather than later. Finding a replacement for Dylan Teves’ production will be key as well, as the Seattle Sounders midfielder had 20 goal involvements in 2021. Gio Miglietti, Lucas Meek, Nicholas Scardina and Imanol Rosales are among the contenders, though don’t count out forward Ilijah Paul or freshman Richie Aman.