Oregon State and Washington State Universities, the only two remaining members of the Pacific-12 Conference, have taken legal action to prevent league officials from making decisions about the conference’s future.
They have requested a temporary restraining order to stop the commissioner and board of the Pac-12 from taking any actions that could prevent them from sustaining the conference in some capacity.
This move comes in response to the departure of 10 other Pac-12 members to other conferences, such as the Big Ten, Big 12, and Atlantic Coast Conferences over the past year.
The Pac-12’s commissioner, George Kliavkoff, had planned a meeting for September 13th to discuss the conference’s future governance approach, including the possibility of dissolving the conference and dividing its assets.
Sole interest in Pac-12’s future
However, Oregon State and Washington State argue that they are the only remaining members with a legitimate interest in the survival and success of the Pac-12, and that the departing 10 members have forfeited their rights to influence its future.
Jayathi Murthy, the president of Oregon State University, emphasized that her institution and Washington State should have the sole right to make decisions regarding the governance and assets of the conference, given the departure of the other 10 schools.
She expressed disappointment in the decisions of her fellow Pac-12 members to leave the conference, particularly criticizing her in-state rival, the University of Oregon.
Murthy raised concerns about the concentration of power in college sports, where a smaller number of football powerhouses in major television markets could control the landscape.
She also questioned the role of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in ensuring the well-being of athletes who may face extensive travel schedules in realigned conferences.
