Sports Biz Expert Says OSU & WSU Affiliations with WCC & MWC Won't Last Long Term
Being the only two remaining members of the Pac-12, Oregon State and Washington State had to get creative this past year in order to preserve their respective futures.
The football programs have will play seven games per year for the next two football seasons against Mountain West teams, in addition to facing each other, but will not be eligible for the league championships. OSU and WSU's basketball programs, along with several other sports, will be affiliate members of the West Coast Conference, with few exceptions.
Matt Brown of Extra Points, a daily college sports business newsletter, reported Monday morning that these affiliate agreements likely will continue in a long term way.
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"Folks in the WCC and MWC orbits have told me that their peers do not expect OSU and Wazzu to keep their current affiliate arrangements over the long term...I do not expect a resolution to this situation in the immediate future. Time is on OSU and Wazzu’s side at the moment," Brown wrote.
Really, there are two preferable outcomes, at least financially, for Oregon State and Washington State here. Either they find a way to join one of the remaining power conferences, or, they rebuild the Pac-12 by raiding other leagues.
It's a bizarre present college football finds itself in and we'll see how much more bizarre the future can realistically get.
JOE LONDERGAN
Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.