Mountain West Approaches Oregon State and Washington State Amid Realignment

In the latter part of the previous month, the Mountain West Conference extended overtures to the last standing members of the Pac-12 post-realignment, specifically Oregon State and Washington State.

Gloria Nevarez, the Mountain West Commissioner, led formal presentations to Washington State on August 24, followed by a meeting with Oregon State earlier this week. Associate Commissioner Javan Hedlund verified these interactions this past Saturday.

On the heels of Stanford and California declaring their intention to join the Atlantic Coast Conference by 2024, Oregon State and Washington State find themselves the sole members remaining in the Pac-12. This exodus is part of a larger shift, where eight additional teams from the once-titled “Conference of Champions” revealed their plans for departure in the upcoming year. Among these, USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington have opted for the Big Ten, whereas Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado, and Utah have chosen the Big 12 as their next affiliation.

The American Athletic Conference foreclosed one potential avenue for Oregon State and Washington State when it issued a statement on Friday, indicating that it would not be extending its geographical reach to include these institutions.

Both universities are collaborating to seek an alternative arrangement. This could involve either joining the Mountain West Conference or the possibility of reconstructing a new Pac-12 Conference with teams from either the existing conference or other options.

The latest departures coincide with Oregon State and Washington State gearing up for the commencement of their football seasons. Washington State recently competed against Colorado State, while Oregon State is slated to face off against San Jose State. Notably, both Colorado State and San Jose State are members of the Mountain West Conference.

Commissioner Nevarez was present at the game between Colorado State and Washington State, further highlighting the Mountain West’s interest in these institutions.

Oregon State University President Jayathi Murthy indicated that a decision regarding the school’s athletic future is expected in the near term, ideally within a matter of weeks. She emphasized the desire to maintain the Pac-12 identity in some capacity.

“We remain committed to finding solutions that meet our objectives, where the well-being of our student-athletes is a priority, where there is alignment between our athletic and academic values, and where we can compete at a national level with adequate visibility,” Murthy stated. “However, abandoning our current conference was never our preferred choice; our primary focus has always been on making our current alignment work. It is regrettable that a football team of our caliber finds itself in the current situation due to an emphasis on media rights and valuations.”

Contributions to this report were made by AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson, based in Las Vegas.

For further details on college football, visit https://bigbignews.net/college-football and https://bigbignews.net/ap-top-25-college-football-poll.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Conference Realignment

More about Conference Realignment

• Mountain West Conference Official Website
• Pac-12 Conference Official Website
• College Football Realignment News
• Atlantic Coast Conference Official Website
• Big Ten Conference Official Website
• Big 12 Conference Official Website
• American Athletic Conference Official Website
• AP Top 25 College Football Poll
• Oregon State University Athletics
• Washington State University Athletics