Washington State and Oregon State are the last two teams remaining in what was and is for the time being the Pac-12 Conference after realignment over the last two years has completely altered the landscape of collegiate sports, football in particular.
The Cougars and Beavers have attempted to remain viable in the wake of USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington leaving for the Big Ten; Utah, Arizona, Arizona State and Colorado leaving for the Big 12; and Stanford and Cal leaving for the ACC.
Some of those reported attempts include rebuilding the Pac-12 and/or merging with the Mountain West Conference.
As part of those efforts, Washington State athletic director delivered a message to the NCAA’s Division 1 Council, in which Chun asked for “compassion, understanding and flexibility,” from the NCAA going forward in regards to Washington State and Oregon State athletics.
“So while the industry ebbs and flows through the tumult of rearranging values and priorities, Washington State is left to create a patchwork solution to ensure our student-athletes maintain access to NCAA championships.
“As this process unfolds, we ask for compassion, understanding and flexibility in navigating the NCAA governance structure and potential legislative waivers. We appreciate the spirit of teamwork and camaraderie that is underscored throughout college athletics.”
As reported by Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger, while Washington State and Oregon State can remain in the Pac-12 for two more years, per a grace period granted by the NCAA, the schools will need waivers to compete in various sports’ championships.
Currently, WSU’s women’s soccer team is ranked No. 23 and the women’s volleyball team is ranked No. 4, while the Cougars’ football team is undefeated and ranked No. 13.
The entire message from Chun to the Division 1 Council can be read below:
