Oregon State, Washington State Reach Settlement With Departing Pac-12 Members

After being abandoned by the 10 schools departing the Pac-12, Washington State and Oregon State earned a consolation prize.

Per Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic, Oregon State and Washington State reached a settlement with the Pac-12 and its outgoing members on Thursday. A joint statement from all 12 schools said, "We are pleased to have reached an agreement in principle that ends litigation."

As part of the settlement agreement, the departing schools will forfeit a portion of distributions over the remainder of the 2023-24 academic year and provide guarantees against future liabilities such as lawsuits, the presidents of Washington State and Oregon State said in a joint statement. The two schools will also retain other conference assets and all future revenue.

"This agreement ensures that the future of the Pac-12 will be decided by the schools that are staying, not those that are leaving," the statement said. "We look forward to what the future holds for our universities, our student-athletes, the Pac-12 Conference and millions of fans.

Earlier on Thursday, Auerbach also reported that Oregon State and Washington State have been voted into the West Coast Conference as affiliate members in most non-football sports for the 2024-25 academic year. The schools will participate in all WCC-sponsored sports except baseball, though they have 30 days to decide if they want to add baseball to the league or go independent.

On Dec. 1, Oregon State and Washington State finalized a one-year scheduling agreement with the Mountain West for the 2024 college football season. The two schools will each play three Mountain West games at home and three on the road.