The Pac-12 era arrived in Fort Collins on Wednesday. How quickly can Rams football win a championship in the new-look league?

Tyler King, college sports reporter

Answer: Within two years

Athletic director John Weber didn’t hire Jim Mora to start another rebuild.

CSU sold Mora on access to the College Football Playoff and Mora has made it clear that’s something he wants to accomplish before his career is over.

Mora has history in every version of the Pac-12, whether it was watching his dad coach in the old Pac-8, playing in the Pac-10 while at Washington or coaching in the most recent version of the Pac-12 at UCLA from 2012-16, twice winning 10 games.

It probably won’t happen this season, but expect Mora to field a team capable of winning the Pac-12 in 2027. At a place with fewer resources than the Rams, Mora won nine games in year three at UConn. He took UCLA to a Pac-12 title game in year one.

Outside of Boise State, who else is there really to worry about in the new version of the Pac-12? Oregon State and Washington State both have new coaches. San Diego State is coming off a solid season, but coach Sean Lewis has already flirted with Power Four jobs. Texas State has money to spend, but this is still a massive jump up for the Bobcats.

If everything breaks right, CSU should show signs of improvement right away under Mora with the potential for a bowl game this fall. If that happens, the Rams will load up for a run at the CFP in 2027.

Kyle Fredrickson, Broncos beat writer

Answer: More than three years

I’m pumping the brakes on CSU immediately contending in the new Pac-12. Because, let’s be honest, the football hype train in Fort Collins rarely leaves the station.

Remember 2017? CSU opened its new on-campus stadium as a beacon of hope to land better recruits and dominate the Mountain West. That never happened.

Remember 2019? CSU relieved Mike Bobo and hired Steve Addazio — another so-called “big name” head coach — to give the Rams an edge. He got fired after a 4-12 record over two years.

Remember 2021? CSU hired Jay Norvell to replace Addazio with the reputation for developing quarterbacks and a high-powered offense. Norvell couldn’t win a conference title, either.

I’m not saying that Mora is destined for a similar fate. He seems like a perfect fit to establish a winning culture in the new Pac-12. But you can’t ignore the lack of recent football success in Fort Collins and how it translates to a long rebuild for CSU football.

The Rams have the facilities and coaches to make it happen. They will also need to strike gold in the transfer portal. But I don’t expect it to culminate in a conference championship for at least three years.

The good news? CSU has every reason to be patient in getting back to the college football mountaintop. There is no reason to panic if it takes Mora more than a couple of seasons to get the hype train in Fort Collins to finally leave the station.