PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University (WSU) and Oregon State University (OSU) have reached an agreement with the ten departing Pac-12 schools on the future of the conference.
In a statement, WSU President Kirk Schulz and OSU President Jayathi Murthy said the departing schools have agreed to "forfeit a portion of distributions" throughout the rest of the 2023-2024 year. The schools also agreed to provide "specific guarantees" against any future liabilities. Essentially, this means all schools have agreed that only the schools staying in the conference will make decisions about its future.
Below is the joint statement released by Schulz and Murthy:
In September, as the two remaining members of the Pac-12 Conference, Oregon State University and Washington State University were forced to act swiftly to protect the future viability of the Pac-12. Thanks to the determination and strength of Beaver Nation and Cougar Nation and the excellence of our student-athletes, coaches and staff, we are now closer to achieving our goal.
Today’s news marks a huge victory for our universities and a significant step toward stabilizing the Pac-12 Conference and preserving its 108-year legacy. The departing schools have agreed to forfeit a portion of distributions over the remainder of the 2023-2024 year and provide specific guarantees against potential future liabilities. The conference retains its assets and all future revenues. This agreement ensures that the future of the Pac-12 will be decided by the schools that are staying, not those that are leaving. We look forward to what the future holds for our universities, our student-athletes, the Pac-12 Conference and millions of fans.
The announcement comes shortly after WCC officials voted on a measure to add WSU and OSU non football and baseball teams for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons this Thursday. The move will expand the WCC from nine teams to 11 and make WSU vs. Gonzaga basketball an in-conference matchup if the Zags choose to stay in the WCC.
For the 2024 football season, WSU and OSU agreed to play with the Mountain West. In baseball, both schools say they intend to play as independent teams per CBS Sports reports.
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