The Pac-12 legal tussle with Oregon State and Washington State ends amicably and comes with a West Coast Conference twist.
Per David Rumsey and Amanda Christovich of Front Office Sports, Oregon State and Washington State plan to settle a lawsuit from September with the 10 schools departing the Pac-12 in 2024.
Details are still being finalized, but the departing schools are expected to forfeit a portion of their conference revenue for the remainder of the 2023-24 season. These institutions will still have a say in revenue decisions until they exit, but OSU and WSU maintain control of the conference’s future.
The two remaining universities have also devised plans to keep their athletic programs afloat after the changes. Both schools will play football against the Mountain West Conference in 2024 and will be affiliate members in 12 sports as part of the West Coast Conference for two seasons.
The WCC welcomes @BeaverAthletics and @WSUCougars as #WCCsports affiliate members across 12 sports, beginning in 2024-25.
đź—’: https://t.co/eAqEIW9poJ pic.twitter.com/H6kGvufWNW
— West Coast Conference (@WCCsports) December 22, 2023
NEW: Oregon State and Washington State have officially joined the West Coast Conference as affiliate members in 12 sports, including men's and women's basketball. pic.twitter.com/42shWd6CuJ
— Chris Vannini (@ChrisVannini) December 22, 2023
Here’s how Twitter reacted to the news: