Question: Which NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference did the 2016 Washington State Cougars football team play in?
Context: The Pac-12 Conference (officially the Pacific-12 Conference) is a collegiate athletic conference that operates in the Western United States, participating in 22 sports at the NCAA Division I level.  Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Division I-A), the higher of two tiers of NCAA Division I football competition. The 1997 Washington State Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Washington State University in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season.  In their ninth season under head coach Mike Price, the Cougars compiled a 10–2 record (7–1 against Pac-10 opponents), won the Pac-10 championship, lost to Michigan in the 1998 Rose Bowl, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 483 to 296.  The Cougars and played their home games at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Washington. The 2016 Washington State Cougars football team represented Washington State University during the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season.  The team was coached by fifth-year head coach Mike Leach and played their home games at Martin Stadium in Pullman, Washington.  They were members of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference.  They finished the season 8–5, 7–2 in Pac-12 play to finish in second place in the North Division.  They were invited to the Holiday Bowl where they were defeated by Minnesota. The 1988 Washington State Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Washington State University in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season.  In their second season under head coach Dennis Erickson, the Cougars compiled a 9–3 record (5–3 against Pac-10 opponents), finished in a tie for third place in the Pac-10, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 415 to 303.  On October 29, Washington State beat No. 1 UCLA at the Rose Bowl, their first and only win ever over a No. 1 ranked team. The 1995 Washington State Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Washington State University in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season.  In their seventh season under head coach Mike Price, the Cougars compiled a 3–8 record (2–6 against Pac-10 opponents), finished in a tie for eighth place in the Pac-10, and were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 274 to 236. The 2015 Houston Cougars football team represented the University of Houston in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season.  It was the 68th year of season play for Houston.  The team was led by first-year head coach Tom Herman and played its home games at TDECU Stadium in Houston.  The Houston Cougars football team is a member of the American Athletic Conference in its West Division.  They finished the season 13–1, 7–1 in American Athletic play to win a share of the West Division title.  Due to their head to head win over Navy, they represented the West Division in the inaugural American Athletic Championship Game where they defeated Temple to become American Athletic Conference champions.  As the highest ranked team from the "Group of five", they received an automatic bid to a New Year's Six bowl.  They were invited to the Peach Bowl where they defeated Florida State. The 1996 Washington State Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Washington State University in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season.  In their eighth season under head coach Mike Price, the Cougars compiled a 5–6 record (3–5 against Pac-10 opponents), finished in a tie for fifth place in the Pac-10, and were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 317 to 314. The Washington State Cougars football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Washington State University, located in the U.S. state of Washington.  The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the FBS and is a member of the North Division of the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12).  Known as the Cougars, the first football team was fielded in 1894. The 1978 Washington State Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Washington State University in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1978 NCAA Division I-A football season.  In their first and only season under head coach Jim Walden, the Cougars compiled a 4–6–1 record (2–6 against Pac-10 opponents), finished in last place in the Pac-10, and were outscored by their opponents by a combined total of 296 to 276. The 1994 Washington State Cougars football team was an American football team that represented Washington State University in the Pacific-10 Conference (Pac-10) during the 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season.  In their sixth season under head coach Mike Price, the Cougars compiled a 8–4 record (5–3 against Pac-10 opponents), finished in fourth place in the Pac-10, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 192 to 136.
Answer: Pac-12 Conference