Oregon State and Washington State moving forward with Mountain West scheduling alliance
After their recent court victory, the Oregon State Beavers and Washington State Cougars are making moves towards their future plans. As the last two remaining members of the Pac-12, the schools are looking to re-engage with Mountain West officials to create a two-year football scheduling alliance.
Reports from sources indicate that this agreement with the Mountain West may be the first step in a long-term partnership or even a potential merger. Mountain West administrators have held calls and plan to meet to discuss the details, with actual negotiations expected to proceed in the coming days.
The potential agreement seeks to involve a “7+1” format, where Mountain West teams would play seven conference games plus one game against either Washington State or Oregon State in a two-year cycle, with games against the Pac-12 members not counting towards the Mountain West standings.
The Pac-12 schools are expected to receive a lucrative financial package and the alliance is expected to feature a long-term commitment to the Mountain West with the intent of a full merger beyond the initial two-year cycle.
As the conference reshapes, broadcasting rights are also being discussed, with home games against Oregon State and Washington State set to be televised by MWC TV partners Fox and CBS Sports Network. Negotiations for potential future broadcasts of home games of the two schools are also in the works.
Additionally, the schools are working to make arrangements with other leagues for their other sports while they prepare to operate as a two-school conference for at least the next year or two. Oregon State and Washington State are aiming to take advantage of a two-year NCAA grace period, as conferences falling below the minimum eight members have two years to return to the minimum eight-member mark.
The recent changes in the Pac-12 and the potential scheduling alliance with the Mountain West have also triggered changes in the sport’s postseason. FBS commissioners have recommended a modified College Football Playoff format that would affect the postseason eligibility of teams in the new Pac-12 configuration. Oregon State and Washington State would become ineligible for automatic qualifiers with this new format.