Washington wins motion to keep Washington State, Oregon State from sole control of Pac-12

The Washington Supreme Court on Tuesday granted the University of Washington’s emergency motion to keep Washington State and Oregon State from taking sole control of the Pac-12’s governance and remaining assets for now.

On Nov. 14, a Whitman County (Washington) Superior Court judge had ruled in favor of the two schools, which will be the only remaining members of the conference after the other 10 schools depart for the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC in 2024. That injunction would have made the presidents of Oregon State and Washington State the only voting members of the Pac-12 Board, pending a temporary stay. Tuesday’s ruling keeps in effect a TRO entered on Sept. 11 and ensures the input of all of the league’s members for the time being. Motions for discretionary review on the matter will be fully filed by Dec. 12.

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In the ruling, the Supreme Court commissioner wrote that business as usual is the “less disruptive temporary posture pending this court’s decision whether to grant review.”

What this means

This isn’t necessarily a surprise, but it will delay any actual action that Oregon State and Washington State may want to take — “aggressive” action, as they said in their statement. While I think they’ll be able to figure out if the scheduling agreement with the Mountain West can work and come to fruition for the 2024 football season, it does affect the two schools’ ability to backfill the conference and figure out if the Pac-12 brand can eventually exist again. — Nicole Auerbach

What they’re saying

“We are pleased that the Washington Supreme Court has put on hold the preliminary injunction that would have given OSU and WSU sole control of the Pac-12 Conference. The decision effectively ensures that all 12 current members will have an equal voice in determining how the revenue our schools earned this year is distributed and utilized while the Court considers our arguments.

“This funding is vital to our ability to operate our athletics programs and to provide mental and physical health services, academic support, and other support programs for our student-athletes. The combined earnings of 12 schools during the 2023-2024 academic year should not be unilaterally governed by just two institutions while we all remain members of the Conference.” — Statement by the 10 schools departing the Pac-12

“We are disappointed in the Washington Supreme Court Commissioner’s decision to temporarily allow the departing schools to have veto power over Pac-12 board matters while they appeal the superior court’s well-reasoned decision to grant Oregon State’s and Washington State’s request to govern as the Pac-12’s sole remaining members. We did not create or seek these circumstances, but Oregon State and Washington State remain committed to taking aggressive action to protect our universities, ensure accountability and transparency, safeguard student-athletes and the Pac-12 Conference, and preserve our options moving forward. The lawsuit is still pending, and this motion was for temporary relief pending appeal. OSU and WSU will be seeking court review of the Commissioner’s decision.” — Statement by Oregon State and Washington State

Required reading

(Photo: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

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