Oregon State and Washington State Plan To 'Rebuild' Pac-12

The Pac-12 is going to look extremely different next season

Conference realignment shook up college football in a way that not many were expecting, and now has changed the trajectory of the sport in many ways.

Programs in Los Angeles are now conference foes with schools in Nebraska and New Jersey, while Bay Area schools will be taking a trip to Florida for their new opponents. As for what to make of the Pac-12, the conference is losing 10 members following this season and is in a sticky legal battle with Oregon State and Washington State.

The two programs were the only schools in the conference to not be invited to another Power conference, and so they are now planning for life after the Pac-12. Well, sort of. A State judge in Washington gave Oregon State and Washington State control of the Pac-12 board of directors on Tuesday, which will allow for them to do what they please with revenue for the conference. The 10 programs are seeking a review. 

As for the Pac-2, they have a difficult path ahead of them as they now are tasked with figuring out their next move. According to reports by John Cazano, they are expected to form an alliance with the Mountain West for the immediate future, but are looking to rebuild the conference.

Oregon State and Washington State want to rebuild. https://t.co/DlJbjVkavg

— John Canzano (@johncanzanobft) November 16, 2023

The conference gets a two-year grace period to operate with less than eight teams, but the expectation is that they'd absorb the Mountain West schools and maybe add some other strong Group of Five programs and form the best non-Power 4 conference. Something that Canzano explained would likely end up getting them a spot in the College Football Playoff every year as the best non-Power conference gets a bid.

While this is the most clarity on this matter that we've had, there are still a lot of things that need to be ironed out.