The Mountain West (MW) Conference announced a partnership with the Pac-12 for next football season, which will set up games between the remaining schools, Washington State and Oregon State, and all MW schools.
The deal comes after the mass exodus of programs from the Pac-12, mostly due to TV deals made by the conference. In order to get more exposure and better matchups, the rest of the Pac-12 dispersed into the Big 12, Big 10, and ACC conferences. That left Washington State and Oregon State in the conference, dubbed the “Pac-2” by the media.
Now, these two teams will play in the MW next year. Every MW program will play 7 typical conference games, with one matchup against either Oregon State or Washington State. These won’t count for conference standings and neither Pac-2 team will be able to compete for the MW Championship.
“This is a unique and unprecedented opportunity for Oregon State and Washington State to play against highly competitive Mountain West football programs in 2024,” said MW commissioner Gloria Nevarez in a press release. “The scheduling agreement will expand the Mountain West footprint and enhance our national brand, while providing our student-athletes with new opportunities, all in line with our strategic priorities. The scheduling agreement strengthens the league’s non-conference schedules, and we look forward to having Oregon State and Washington State be a part of the 2024 slate.”
