Tweet
ESPN - Ruling grants Oregon State, Washington State full control of Pac-12
I know this isn't final, but it really makes sense. This is pretty much how every conference operates to the best of my knowledge and how the PAC has operated when the first few left. WSU/OSU are correct in asserting that these schools agreed with them up until they decided to leave the conference as well, and now that want it to be interpreted differently. I'm not sure how the departing schools can win upon appeal.
Beyond this, it will be interesting to see how the remaining PAC-2 plan to move forward and who they might try to reach out to in order to keep the PAC name. Will they take the money and then dissolve? Will they invite some MWC/AAC schools to join them? I don't think any AAC schools would jump, unless maybe the PAC lands a handful of the top MWC schools, but even then, it could still be a risky proposition unless the PAC somehow lands a TV deal that they struggled to get when they were at full force.
Selfishly, I hope the PAC pulls in some of the western most MWC schools and that maybe the AAC could add some of the eastern schools. Not really a fan of going over 16, but it could potentially be necessary. There would be worse things than taking the four front range schools, though Utah State would also be an attractive target.
A state judge in Washington granted Oregon State and Washington State sole control of the Pac-12 board of directors on Tuesday, issuing the ruling at a preliminary injunction hearing in Whitman County Court.
Judge Gary Libey granted a stay of the decision until Monday -- at no objection from OSU and WSU -- as the 10 schools leaving the Pac-12 following the 2023-24 school year initiate the appeals process.
The decision comes roughly two months after Libey granted a temporary restraining order at the request of OSU and WSU that prevented Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff from calling any Pac-12 board meetings.
"I grew up where conduct spoke louder than words. That's how my parents treated me, and that's how I treated my children when they were growing up," Libey said before issuing his decision. "With that in mind, this court finds in favor that the plaintiffs are likely to prevail on their interpretation of the bylaws."
In a small Whitman County courthouse, roughly 15 miles from WSU's campus in Pullman, Libey heard arguments from three parties: OSU/WSU, the Pac-12 and the University of Washington, which entered the case as an intervenor, working on behalf of the nine other departing schools (Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC and Utah).
Over the course of about 2½ hours, all three parties argued for different outcomes.
OSU and WSU argued -- as they have done for weeks in written briefs -- that conference bylaws were clear that when schools announced they were joining other conferences, they immediately surrendered their seat on the conference board. That, they argued, was how it worked when UCLA and USC announced they were joining the Big Ten and, again, when Colorado announced it was leaving for the Big 12.
It was not only until the other seven announced they also were leaving, OSU and WSU argued, that those schools' interpretation of the bylaws changed and claimed that all 12 deserved a seat on the board.
Judge Gary Libey granted a stay of the decision until Monday -- at no objection from OSU and WSU -- as the 10 schools leaving the Pac-12 following the 2023-24 school year initiate the appeals process.
The decision comes roughly two months after Libey granted a temporary restraining order at the request of OSU and WSU that prevented Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff from calling any Pac-12 board meetings.
"I grew up where conduct spoke louder than words. That's how my parents treated me, and that's how I treated my children when they were growing up," Libey said before issuing his decision. "With that in mind, this court finds in favor that the plaintiffs are likely to prevail on their interpretation of the bylaws."
In a small Whitman County courthouse, roughly 15 miles from WSU's campus in Pullman, Libey heard arguments from three parties: OSU/WSU, the Pac-12 and the University of Washington, which entered the case as an intervenor, working on behalf of the nine other departing schools (Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Colorado, Oregon, Stanford, UCLA, USC and Utah).
Over the course of about 2½ hours, all three parties argued for different outcomes.
OSU and WSU argued -- as they have done for weeks in written briefs -- that conference bylaws were clear that when schools announced they were joining other conferences, they immediately surrendered their seat on the conference board. That, they argued, was how it worked when UCLA and USC announced they were joining the Big Ten and, again, when Colorado announced it was leaving for the Big 12.
It was not only until the other seven announced they also were leaving, OSU and WSU argued, that those schools' interpretation of the bylaws changed and claimed that all 12 deserved a seat on the board.
Beyond this, it will be interesting to see how the remaining PAC-2 plan to move forward and who they might try to reach out to in order to keep the PAC name. Will they take the money and then dissolve? Will they invite some MWC/AAC schools to join them? I don't think any AAC schools would jump, unless maybe the PAC lands a handful of the top MWC schools, but even then, it could still be a risky proposition unless the PAC somehow lands a TV deal that they struggled to get when they were at full force.
Selfishly, I hope the PAC pulls in some of the western most MWC schools and that maybe the AAC could add some of the eastern schools. Not really a fan of going over 16, but it could potentially be necessary. There would be worse things than taking the four front range schools, though Utah State would also be an attractive target.
Comment