WSU and OSU now have full control over the Pac-12
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The Pac-12 logo on the field at Reser Stadium. Photo: Tom Hauck/Getty Images
Washington State University and Oregon State University have won full control of the Pac-12 athletic conference after a decision Friday from Washington's highest court.
Why it matters: As the Pac-12 conference's only two members that aren't leaving after the the current season, WSU and OSU now get to decide how to spend the conference's money, over the protests of the 10 departing schools.
Details: The Washington state Supreme Court declined to review last month's lower court decision that awarded WSU and OSU sole voting rights on the Pac-12's governing board.
- The high court also lifted a stay that had temporarily blocked the November ruling from taking effect.
- That gives OSU and WSU full power to decide the conference's future without approval from the University of Washington, the University of Oregon, UCLA and other Pac-12 schools that will soon join other athletic leagues, the AP reported.
State of play: Current Pac-12 members UW, Oregon, UCLA and USC are headed to the Big Ten conference next fall.
- Meanwhile, Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado are headed to the Big 12, and Stanford and UC Berkeley are headed to the ACC.
Catch up quick: After the other schools announced their plans to switch conferences, OSU and WSU filed a lawsuit. They cited fears that the departing schools may try to dissolve the Pac-12 or distribute its hundreds of millions of dollars in assets unfairly.
- The other schools, led by UW, had argued they should still retain some say in how the Pac-12 is run until they actually leave the conference in August, OPB reported.
What they're saying: A spokesperson for UW didn't immediately respond to an Axios email seeking comment Friday afternoon.
- WSU and OSU officials, meanwhile, said they were pleased with the state court's decision.
- "We look forward to continuing our work of charting a path forward for the conference that is in the best interest of student-athletes and our wider university communities," OSU president Jayathi Murthy and WSU president Kirk Schulz said in a joint statement shared with Axios by email.