SAN FRANCISCO– In partnership with the Green Sports Alliance, the Pac-12 released today the winners of the Zero Waste Bowl for the 2016-17 basketball season. Each Pac-12 institution participates in the Zero Waste Bowl with the goal of determining which university diverted the most waste from the landfill at a selected men’s or women’s basketball home game during the 2016-17 season, as well as which used the most innovative methods to expand the reach and impact of the competition.

The Pac-12 Road Zero Waste Bowl provides a friendly and spirited platform for Pac-12 universities to engage on best practices in athletics waste diversion and to learn how each campus strives toward zero waste goals. In addition to overall waste diversion rate, the universities are scored on innovation, partnership & participation, and fan engagement. A panel of four independent judges determined the results.

2016-17 Basketball Pac-12 Zero Waste Bowl Challenge Results:

• 1st Place: University of California, Berkeley: Achieved a diversion rate of 94%
• 2nd Place: University of Colorado, Boulder: Achieved a diversion rate of 92%
• 3rd Place: University of Arizona: Achieved a diversion rate of 65%  

The judges also awarded three universities with Zero Waste Challenge special awards for Fan Engagement, Athlete/Player Engagement, and the most improved school (from the previous competition):

• Fan Engagement Award – University of Arizona
• Athlete/Player Engagement – Stanford University
• Most Improved – University of California, Los Angeles

About the Pac-12 Conference:
Recognized as the 'Conference of Champions' for its unequaled NCAA Championships, the Pac-12 Conference comprises the 12 leading universities located in the Western United States: The University of Arizona, Arizona State University, the University of California-Berkeley, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Colorado, the University of Oregon, Oregon State University, Stanford University, the University of Southern California, the University of Utah, the University of Washington and Washington State University. For more information on the Conference’s programs, member institutions, and Commissioner Larry Scott, go to pac-12.com/conference.

About the Green Sports Alliance:
The Green Sports Alliance leverages the cultural and market influence of sports to promote healthy, sustainable communities where we live and play. The nonprofit organization does so by inspiring sports leagues, teams, venues, their partners, and millions of fans to embrace renewable energy, healthy food, recycling, water efficiency, species preservation, safer chemicals and other environmentally preferable practices. The Alliance is engaging the global sports industry to encourage measurable actions that enhance venue operations, influence the sports industry supply chain, and mobilize fans. Visit greensportsalliance.org to learn more.