WA Supreme Court denies review of Pac-12 appeal, handing control of conference to OSU, WSU
PULLMAN, WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 23: Isaiah Hodgins #17 of the Oregon State Beavers catches a pass against Marcus Strong #4 of the Washington State Cougars in the second half at Martin Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Pullman, Washington. Washington Sta
The Washington state Supreme Court declined on Friday to review the Pac-12’s appeal of a lower court ruling that gives full control of the conference to Oregon State and Washington State, keeping in place a legal victory for the league’s two remaining schools over its 10 departing members.
Last month, a superior court judge in Whitman County, Washington, granted the two remaining Pac-12 schools a preliminary injunction that sided with Oregon State and Washington State’s argument, saying 10 departing schools relinquished their right to be part of the conference’s decision-making board when they announced they were joining new leagues in 2024.
The decision put Oregon State and Washington State in control of hundreds of millions of dollars in Pac-12 assets, but also made them fully responsible for the conference’s liabilities.
The departing schools appealed the ruling. They contend conference bylaws allow them to continue to be part of the Pac-12 board of directors and have a say in how the conference is run until they actually withdraw from the league in August 2024.
The Nov. 15 ruling was put on hold by the state Supreme Court a few days later and a ruling from September was kept in place that calls for unanimous vote by all 12 schools of any conference business.
Friday’s order lifts the stay and puts the preliminary injunction in effect.
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State Supreme Court puts ruling that gave Washington State, Oregon State control of Pac-12 on hold
The Washington state Supreme Court has granted a request by the University of Washington and the Pac-12 to put on hold a lower court’s ruling that gave Oregon State and Washington State control of the conference.
Now Washington State and Oregon State can proceed as the sole decision-makers in the conference, though Superior Court Judge Gary Libey, while making his ruling in November, warned the schools about treating the departing schools unfairly and hoarding funds.
The 10 departing schools have said they are concerned that Oregon State and Washington State could deny them 2023-24 revenues from media rights contracts and postseason football and basketball participation that usually would be shared with the entire conference.
An in-season revenue distribution totaling $61 million dollars that otherwise would have been divvied up among 12 members in December was held up recently by the lack of a unanimous vote, according to a report by the San Jose Mercury News that was confirmed to the AP by a person with direct knowledge of the situation. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the conference was not making its internal business decisions public.
An in-season revenue distribution totaling $61 million dollars that otherwise would have been divvied up among 12 members in December was held up recently by the lack of a unanimous vote, according to a report by the San Jose Mercury News that was confirmed to the AP by a person with direct knowledge of the situation.
Ten Pac-12 schools have announced they are joining other power conferences next year, leaving Oregon State and Washington State facing a future with drastically reduced yearly revenues to fund their athletic departments.
Oregon State and Washington State have a plan to keep the Pac-12 alive and try to rebuild that includes operating as a two-team conference for at least one year, maybe two.
The schools announced earlier this month a football-scheduling partnership with the Mountain West. That partnership could eventually extend to other sports.