The Oregon State Beavers and Washington State Cougars are the only two teams left standing in the Pac-12 Conference after the season. With both schools left behind by their Pac-12 peers, the Mountain West Conference could step in to help both programs.
Oregon State and Washington State first filed a lawsuit against the Pac-12 in Washington State Superior Court, arguing they should be in full control of the conference and its assets. Amid significant opposition, though, both schools have also been exploring options for their future.
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With the Pac-12 itself likely dead after the 2023 season, or at the very least only having two teams, the Cougars and Beavers must begin finding new opponents for 2024 and beyond. It appears a regional partnership could be in the works.
Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported this week that Oregon State and Washington State are expected to operate as a two-member conference in 2024. Importantly, though, they are in deep discussions with Mountain West officials on a scheduling alliance.
The partnership would only be temporary. According to sources who spoke with Dellenger, the alliance would be for just one or two years. It’s driven by uncertainty, with both schools unsure how long they will operate in a two-school conference.
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As far as the details go, there are still multiple scheduling scenarios in play. The MWC could have eight conference opponents play the Beavers and Cougars in 2024, while another possibility is seven Mountain West opponents apiece for the two schools.
There’s currently no timeline for a decision to be made. However, Mountain West administrators are reportedly reviewing the different proposals and could receive feedback from the conference’s presidents in a matter of weeks.
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As Dellenger points out, there are strong motivations tied to the desire to remain in a conference. If the Pac-12 folds, putting Oregon State and Washington State into the classification of independent teams, making the College Football Playoff becomes far more difficult.
The current option being explored wouldn’t be all that different from what Notre Dame has done, scheduling multiple games against ACC opponents each year. It would allow the Cougars and Beavers to maintain conference ties while making up for the games lost by fellow Pac-12 teams leaving next year. However, any alliance is expected to have both programs commit to becoming full-time members of the MWC in the future.
