Barnes

CORVALLIS — Leaders at Oregon State and Washington State believe a clearer picture will emerge in the next 30 days about the future of the Pac-12 Conference.

The two schools held a joint press conference Thursday, Sept. 21, where the presidents and athletic directors talked about their position amid the Pac-12 turmoil, including the future of collegiate athletics and higher education in the Pacific Northwest.

Oregon State President Dr. Jayathi Murthy, WSU President Dr. Kirk Schultz, OSU Athletic Director Scott Barnes and WSU Athletic Director Pat Chen fielded questions from the media, but made it clear that until assets and liabilities are figured out there is no clear path to the future.

“We understand some of the assets the Pac-12 has,” Murthy said,“but some we don’t understand. There are liabilities that will shape the Pac-12. We have to understand these before we can move forward.”

The shift in the Pac-12, which is 108 years old, started when Colorado bolted to the Big 12, then Oregon and Washington jumped to the Big 10. The Big 12 already had agreed to take in Arizona, Arizona State and Utah.

The fall of the Pac-12 had a lot to do with media rights, which each school would receive $20 million annually — $12 million less per year than the next lowest conference, which is the Big 12 at $31.7 million.

“The current state of the Pac-12 is not of our making, but we refuse to let it define us,” Schultz said. “Oregon State and Washington State are top schools in research. We are not backing down to this challenge. We are looking to find a home for our athletes.”

Murthy said Oregon State stands united with WSU in trying to provide the best experiences for their student athletes.

“We are fiercely competitive rivals on the field, but we stand united in our commitment to our student athletes,” she said. “We are so grateful to everyone who has spoken up on social media for their support. Oregon State’s 17 sports deserve the ability to compete at the highest level.”

Exploring options, staying patient

WSU’s football team (No. 21), volleyball team (No. 7), and ladies soccer team (No. 24) are all ranked in the top 25 this week. They are one of three programs in the country that are ranked in all three sports.

“We are very proud of the fact that we will host a ranked soccer team (No. 2 Stanford) on (Sept. 22) and football on (Sept. 23),” Schultz said. “Our volleyball opponent (Washington) is not ranked, but it will be a good match. We call this a normal fall in Pullman. This is the type of athletic program we have built. We look at the opportunity to reinforce that we have quality programs.”

The volleyball match will be shown on the Pac-12 Network, while the football game will be broadcast on FOX.

“We are aware of the challenge,” Schultz said of the media revenue. “It’s the worst media environment in 30 years. We are showcasing our value. We think we are two fantastic universities with athletic programs we can be proud of.”

Right now that value is limited to two teams, who are in rural areas in their respective states.

“We are land-grant institutions and we represent rural communities,” Murthy said. “We owe it to our students to give our athletes the same opportunities as schools in the large cities.”

The opportunity may come from joining forces with a conference like the Mountain West, or encouraging other schools to join what is left of the Pac-12.

Murthy said they have had conversations with the Mountain West, while Schultz said if they invite teams to join, that there is a vetting process.

“The situation is complex,” Schultz said. “Our two schools are seeking fiscal numbers from the conference. We are aggressively seeking the best options. We have plenty to discuss. I’m optimistic that in the next 30 days that we will have a better picture. We have to be patient.”

‘Future is not what the past was’

The four university representatives said they hope things can be resolved sooner than later when it comes to recruiting for all of the athletic teams, and putting together athletic schedules for the upcoming school year.

Fans have been asking about the Washington-Washington State Apple Cup, and Oregon-Oregon State fans want to know about the future of their rivalry game, which dates to 1894.

“We cannot look at scheduling with an emotional lens,” Chun said. “We have been part of a storied rivalry and so has Oregon and Oregon State. There is going to be a time and place for decisions to be made. There are a lot of what ifs right now.”

Athletics aside, OSU and WSU have had good working relationships with neighboring schools. They hope that will continue.

“The Pac-12 has been essential to WUS and OSU as educational institutions,” Murthy said. “There is loss that is felt. I’m confident we will find new partners. The future is not what the past was. Our enrollment is up 11.5% over last year. We have had strong success as a university.”