Oregon State and Washington State are working with the Mountain West on a possible scheduling partnership, sources close to the negotiations confirm to CBS Sports’ Dennis Dodd. The Pac-12 Conference’s two remaining schools have discussed everything from a long-term partnership to an eventual merger with the MWC.
“That’s the preference. It’s not a done deal yet,” one of the sources told Dodd.
According to Yahoo Sports, which first reported the negotiations, several scheduling models were discussed, including a 7+1 system in which MWC schools would play seven league games and a matchup against one of the Pac-2. The latter game would not count toward the Mountain West standings and neither Oregon State nor Washington State would be eligible for the championship. Additionally, they would not be eligible for automatic bids to the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
In return, the Mountain West would receive significant financial compensation. The league’s existing television contract pays about $4 million a year, while Oregon State and Washington State have received more than $20 million in television payouts from the Pac-12.
The league does not have a television deal that extends beyond the 2023 season, while the Mountain West, which looks to be the Group of Five’s strongest conference as of 2024, wants to complete its deal with Fox and CBS Sports Network in 2025 – hence the reason Als A possible two-year agreement makes sense for all parties as a bridging agreement.
It’s not clear if any of the current partners would pay for the 12 additional games in the Mountain West inventory.
Later, the partnership could lead to a full merger of the two conferences. In the short term, however, the Beavers and Cougars are expected to move forward as a two-team conference. The NCAA grants schools a two-year grace period to reach the minimum eight members required to continue as a conference.
If the partnership comes to fruition, it would bolster the Mountain West’s schedule strength in the new 12-team playoffs. CFP commissioners are already considering adjusting automatic qualification from the top six conference champions to the top five. The so-called “5+7” model is a reaction to the dissolution of the Pac-12.
If this scheduling agreement is finalized, the Beavers and Cougars would most likely be considered independents with the same access as Notre Dame, Army, UConn and UMass. In the new 12-team playoffs, independent teams are not eligible for automatic qualification because they do not participate in a conference. Instead, they must qualify as one of the seven highest-ranked programs regardless of conference affiliation.
Earlier this week, Oregon State and Washington State won an important victory in court in Whitman County, Washington. A judge granted the Pac-2 schools a temporary restraining order, making them the only voting members of the Pac-12 board. The decision could give the two schools access to Pac-12 revenue from the Rose Bowl, March Madness payouts and more totaling up to $500 million.
The University of Washington filed a petition with the Washington Supreme Court on behalf of the 10 withdrawing Pac-12 schools to block the decision. Notably, USC and UCLA were removed as board members after previously announcing plans to join the Big Ten.
“We are disappointed with the decision and are immediately seeking review from the Washington Supreme Court and requesting that implementation of this decision be suspended,” the 10 other schools said in a statement. “As members of the Pac-12 participating in current and scheduled competitions, we are board members pursuant to the Pac-12 bylaws.”
Oregon State and Washington State still have a fiduciary responsibility to the remaining Pac-12 members, meaning they will not be able to easily seize funds owed to the departing programs. However, the Pac-2 will be able to set the league’s agenda and potentially leverage existing resources to shape the league’s future.