As several schools have departed the Pac-12, Washington State had to find a clear path forward.
Though the Cougars would want to remain a Power Five program — they went 5-7 and 2-7 in Pac-12 play in 2023 — they seem like a good candidate to join a Group of Five league. For now, WSU and Oregon State are joining a scheduling partnership with the Mountain West.
WSU-Mountain West Scheduling Alliance
Oregon State and Washington State have officially made a scheduling deal with the Mountain West for at least this year. There’s still the possibility of there being a Mountain West/Pac-2 merger or those two schools joining the Mountain West eventually.
The Mountain West announced MW teams will schedule seven games against league opponents with another being against either WSU or OSU in 2024. Those two programs wouldn’t be eligible for the Mountain West Championship.
For one year of this arrangement, the two schools would pay the Mountain West $14 million, according to Yahoo Sports. This partnership could also last until the 2025 season as well and, for now, only applies to football. Other WSU and OSU athletic teams will be affiliate members of the West Coast Conference in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
Of any conference that seems like the future home for Washington State football, the Mountain West makes the most sense. Mountain West commissioner Gloria Nevarez has proposed to WSU reasons why the Cougars should join the league, per CBS.
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Pac-12 Lawsuit And Hearing
Washington State and Oregon State leaders appeared at a hearing last year in Whitman County Superior Court in Washington. A judge ruled in favor of OSU and WSU, meaning they were going to be the Pac-12 board’s only two voting members.
The Washington Supreme Court ruled in favor of OSU and WSU by not reviewing an appeal of the lower court’s decision, which was made by the departing members of the league. That means OSU and WSU remain in control of the board.
The current Pac-12 members did come to an arrangement that puts an end to those legal issues for now, though. The member programs which are leaving are giving up some but not all of the funds from this school year. With OSU and WSU in control of the Pac-12 board, the league will keep its future money and resources after this academic year.
Hundreds of millions of dollars from television deals and other sources of income have been at stake in this dispute.
Could A WSU-Big Ten Move Happen?
The Big Ten does not seem to be a likely landing spot for Washington State.
Though there have been some reports about WSU going to a Power Five league, the Big Ten has not been one of them. The Big Ten seems content at the moment or would look elsewhere for expansion.
USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington are the Pac-12 schools which are heading to the Big Ten. Washington State would likely want to join UW in whatever league it goes to, but the Big Ten doesn’t seem like it will extend an invite any time soon.
Would WSU To The Big 12 Work?
Some have speculated Washington State could go with other Pac-12 schools to the Big 12, but that doesn’t currently seem probable.
Multiple national outlets have reported the Big 12 doesn’t seem likely to be adding the Pac-2 schools, which would include Oregon State and WSU. And if that was a possibility, that likely would’ve happened by now.
Four Pac-12 schools—Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah—are leaving for the Big 12 this year.
Apple Cup’s Future
Washington State and Washington announced in November their Apple Cup rivalry series would continue for at least another five years, through 2028.
This past year marked the 115th time the two schools played. The Huskies defeated the Cougars 24-21 this season.
Is Wazzu Staying In The Pac-12?
OSU and WSU have previously taken action which indicates the universities intend on seeing if they can keep the Pac-12 alive.
The presidents of Washington State and Oregon State should reportedly make up the conference’s board of directors, according to Pac-12 bylaws, since those two schools are the only ones in the league which have yet to indicate they are leaving. That could mean those leaders alone eventually gain the power to decide what to do with the Pac-12 and its resources like TV revenue.
Those resources might make it possible for the Pac-12 to add several new teams.
Pac-12 News And Rumors
A promotion/relegation model similar to that of European soccer could be possible for the Pac-12 and Mountain West, Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports reported.
With this idea, every one or two years, two teams would move up to the Pac-12 and another two would move down to the Mountain West based on success. This operation could also expand by adding FCS teams like North Dakota State and South Dakota State.
Some Mountain West decision-makers are reportedly open to unique ideas like this, but not everyone might be in favor of this model and plenty more would have to be solidified. Washington State and Oregon State still have matters to sort out with the remaining Pac-12 assets, so a decision regarding this matter might not be made in the immediate future.
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CFP’s Move To 5+7 Format Impacting G5 Teams
The CFP Board of Managers unanimously decided on Tuesday to alter the setup for the playoff. Now, the five highest-ranked conference title winners will automatically qualify, and the next seven highest-ranked teams will make up the rest of the field.
Previously, the six highest-ranked conference champions would make it. Then the next-highest ranked six teams would consist of the rest of the field.
“This is a very logical adjustment for the College Football Playoff based on the evolution of our conference structures since the board first adopted this new format in September 2022,” Mark Keenum, Mississippi State President and Chair of the CFP Board of Managers, said in a press release. “I know this change will also be well received by student-athletes, coaches and fans. We all will be pleased to see this new format come to life on the field this postseason.”
College Football Playoff Rules
This year is the CFP’s first season of 12 teams making the playoffs.
Despite the 5+7 change, no conference – including the Power Five – will have an automatic qualifier, and there will be no maximum for a number of teams from any one conference.
With this new format, the four highest-ranked conference title winners will receive a bye during the first round. The next eight teams will be seeded Nos. 5-12, and the higher-seeded programs will host.
Then the quarterfinals and semifinals will be made up of the New Year’s Six bowls, and the national championship will keep being played at a neutral site.
Can A Pac-12 Team Make The College Football Playoff?
Washington State and Oregon State, the two remaining Pac-12 teams in 2024, still can earn a spot in the CFP. However, that path will be difficult without a chance to automatically qualify with a conference championship.
With the Pac-12 being down to two members, it appears unlikely the conference’s No. 1 team would automatically make the playoff as things stand right now. Oregon State and Washington State also won’t be eligible for the Mountain West’s conference title.
Pac-12/Sun Belt Scheduling Alliance?
The presidents of Sun Belt Conference schools met during this last season to go over potential plans by Oregon State and Washington State that would include a scheduling alliance between the Sun Belt and those two schools, according to Yahoo Sports.
However, those discussions were reportedly short. The Sun Belt’s leaders believed there was too much travel and not enough financial gain possible with an arrangement like that.
Washington State-AAC Talks
As the AAC tries to shed the Group of Five moniker, adding WSU seemed like it would help in that effort. But the AAC reportedly has stopped considering bringing in Oregon State and WSU and instead is adding Army.
The AAC has been regarded by many as the strongest G5 league. Though it lost UCF, Houston, and Cincinnati last year, it picked up North Texas, UTSA, UAB, Charlotte, Rice, and FAU.
Washington State, Pac-12 History
Washington State has been a member of the Pac-12 since 1962, though it has been called a variety of names over the years.
When WSU joined, it was known as the Athletic Association of Western Universities. Then the league became the Pacific-8 Conference in 1968 before being renamed the Pacific-10 Conference in 1978 when Arizona and Arizona State were added. It officially became the Pac-12 in 2011 after Colorado and Utah joined the conference.
Pac-12 Media Deal
The Pac-12’s media deal with FOX and ESPN is reportedly worth $250 million per year and will expire in 2024-25. The conference was seeking a new deal before several teams decided to leave.
Washington State could be missing out on some money comparatively if it goes to the Mountain West.
Mountain West Conference Media Deal
The Mountain West agreed to a $270 million media rights deal in 2020 with CBS and FOX, according to The Athletic. That would mean teams are scheduled to be paid $4 million per year.
The arrangement would end after the 2025-26 season.
AAC Media Deal
The AAC and ESPN agreed to a 12-year contract beginning in 2019 worth about $1 billion, via USA Today. The deal was to pay each program just under $7 million per year when it was made but increased over time. SMU, for example, reportedly received about $8.2 million in 2022.