Why Mountain West interest in long-term relationship with Oregon State, Washington State may be waning

LAS VEGAS — The Pac-12 held a media day last week disguised as a cocktail party. 

The event, labeled “After Hours with the Beavs and Cougs,” was equal parts maudlin, inspiring, pep rally and Irish wake. There was an open bar with finger foods. There was an inspirational, three-part film titled “Welcome To The Fight” centered on conference holdovers Oregon State and Washington State.

There was a past and future theme with former greats from both programs participating. Folks cried, or came damn close to it. 

“We are drinking tonight during this event,” Pac-12 commissioner Theresa Gould said. “And I would venture to say that if anybody has earned the right to drink, it is the Pac-12, OK?”

“I was pissed, frankly,” former Washington State quarterback Jack Thompson said of the league’s dissolution. 

“They’re going to come scrambling back,” former Wazzu great Ryan Leaf said of the departed Pac-12 schools. 

There’s an unwritten rule to lure media: If you offer free food and drink, you’ll get coverage. That’s less of an issue than where the two programs ultimately land after being the only Pac-12 schools left out during the last round of realignment. That after a combined 214 years as Pac-12 members. 

The future is uncertain, but the prevailing thought has been the Beavers and Cougars will end up as Mountain West members by 2026 when the new College Football Playoff contract begins. 

On the surface, it makes sense for the best Group of Five conference to take in the last two Power Five schools remaining from the realignment chaos. 

But after a week of speaking to industry sources during various media days, there seems to be momentum toward the Mountain West cooling on inclusion of Oregon State and Washington State. Such a move has…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/why-mountain-west-interest-in-long-term-relationship-with-oregon-state-washington-state-may-be-waning/

Author : Dennis Dodd

Publish date : 2024-07-15 15:40:21

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