Oregon State and Washington State will join the West Coast Conference as affiliate members for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, according to reports. This membership is for all sports except for football and baseball.
WCC presidents and athletic directors are scheduled to vote on this Thursday, CBS reported.
Adding Oregon State and Washington State would increase the WCC to 11 teams in both men’s and women’s basketball.
Oregon State and Washington State football programs still need a permanent home
The Oregon State and Washington State football programs agreed to a one-year scheduling agreement with the Mountain West Conference.
Teams in the MWC have Oregon State and Washington State on the 2024 schedule, but those games won’t count as conference games.
The Athletic reported that Oregon State and Washington State will play the Mountain West $14 million to play three home games and three road games against conference schools.
Washington State and Oregon State are the last two members of the Pac-12 after the 10 other league members left for the Big Ten, the Big 12 and the ACC. Being left out of the realignment frenzy will likely be detrimental financially to those schools.
Uncertain future for Oregon State and Washington State athletics
The Washington Supreme Court earlier this week ruled that Wasington State and Oregon State can assume control of the Pac-12’s governing board. The court declined to review a motion from the University of Washington on behalf of the 10 departing schools.
Washington State and Oregon State are eligible for the West Coast Conference championship in basketball, men and women, and all other sports on the 2024-25 and 2025-26 sports calendar and could represent the league in NCAA championship events.
It is uncertain what the two schools will do after the 2025-26 school year. NCAA rules allow for the two schools to operate as a two-member conference for a transitional period of two years before returning to a minimum of seven members.Â
That conference would have to sponsor men’s and women’s basketball, and at least 12 Division I sports and other requirements.