Washington played in its second Pac-12 Football Championship Game while Utah made its debut. With Utah's qualification, all six members of the South Division have now appeared in the Pac-12 championship.
The matchup was the 13th meeting between the Utes and the Huskies. They last played each other earlier in the season when Washington defeated Utah 21–7 at Rice–Eccles Stadium. Following that result, Washington led the all-time series 11–1.
After starting 0–2 in conference play, Utah won six of their remaining seven conference games, officially clinching the South Division with a win against Colorado on November 17.
Washington claimed the North Division's berth in the championship game by winning their head-to-head matchup with Washington State in the 111th Apple Cup. The two rivals finished with 7–2 conference records.