"It would be silly to close the door artificially": WSU president Kirk Schulz shares his secret weapon to revive the Pac-2 from extinction
The Pac-12 is set to become the Pac-2 this summer as 10 of the 12 programs have announced their intention to leave the conference on August 2nd, 2024. The two remaining programs, the Oregon State Beavers and Washington State Cougars, have expressed an interest in rebuilding the conference.
Washington State president Kirk Schulz recently revealed that he is open to private equity investment, according to Chris Vannini of The Athletic, who tweeted:
"Washington State president Kirk Schulz says the Pac-2 are open to private equity investment if the opportunity presents itself. "It would be silly to close the door artificially.""
Check out Chris Vannini's tweet on Kirk Schulz's comments below:
Both Oregon State and Washington State have expressed that they see value in keeping the conference alive, according to Vannini, who wrote:
"Many hurdles remain, but Oregon State and Washington State have bought themselves time. They believe there is value in keeping the Pac-12 — or whatever it’s called in the future — alive both literally and from a brand standpoint. That’s the plan for now." [h/t The Athletic]
It remains unclear if the two programs' last-ditch effort to keep the Pac-2 alive will succeed. The Oregon Ducks, UCLA Bruins, USC Trojans and Washington Huskies are set to join the Big Ten, while the Arizona Wildcats, Arizona State Sun Devils, Colorado Buffaloes and Utah Utes are headed to the Big 12. Finally, the California Golden Bears and Stanford Cardinal will join the ACC.
What options are available for the remaining Pac-2 programs?
The Oregon State Beavers and Washington State Cougars have some time to figure out their next step. They will have a two-year grace period to rebuild the conference to at least eight teams. If they are unable to do so, their options will become more limited. Oregon State athletic director Scott Barnes detailed this while speaking with Chris Vannini of The Athletic, stating:
"Priority one is to join an existing power conference. Option two is to build back a power conference with the Pac-12 banner. An option might be what we call a reverse merger that might include adding existing Mountain West and the like. But that all needs to be developed over the next several months while keeping an eye on the landscape." [h/t The Athletic]
The two programs are set to play at least six football games against Mountain West Conference opponents in 2024. Their other sports teams will spend two seasons in the West Coast Conference. It remains to be seen if the Beavers and Cougars will be able to revive the Pac-2.