Report: Washington State, Oregon State to join WCC as affiliate members for two seasons

Washington State and Oregon State have reportedly found a short-term solution to the Pac-12 crisis for their basketball programs and Olympic sports the next two seasons.

According to multiple reports, WSU and OSU will join the West Coast Conference as affiliate members for the next two seasons in all sports except football and baseball.

The news, which was initially reported by Matt Norlander of CBS Sports, comes approximately three weeks after the Cougars and Beavers agreed to a football scheduling alliance with the Mountain West Conference for the 2024 season.

WSU and OSU were left without a conference home when 10 other Pac-12 schools split away from the conference – four leaving for the Big Ten, four more for the Big 12 and two others to the ACC.

Earlier this week, the Washington Supreme Court ruled to give WSU and OSU control of the Pac-12’s governing board, declining to review a motion from the University of Washington on behalf of the 10 departing schools. The future remains uncertain for WSU and OSU beyond 2025-26, but both will still exist as Pac-12 members for the time being, with the option to potentially rebuild the conference after 2026.

Unlike the football partnership, WSU and OSU would be eligible to compete for WCC championship in men’s and women’s basketball and all other sports in 2024-25 and 2025-26. Along those same lines, the Cougars and Beavers will be able to earn automatic qualifier berths in the NCAA Tournament for basketball along with other NCAA championship events.

“They will be eligible for AQ status and will play under the WCC flag,” an unnamed source told CBS Sports. “Their games will count in the standings.”

Conference presidents and athletic directors are expected to approve the measure on Thursday morning, according to CBS Sports.

The Spokesman-Review attempted to reach Washington State Athletic Director Pat Chun, but he was unavailable to comment on Wednesday’s report.

With the short-term additions of WSU and OSU, the WCC, which consists of nine schools after BYU’s departure to the Big 12, will expand to 11 for the next two seasons.

Reports have indicated WCC teams will play 18 or 20 conference games, up from 16 this season. The WCC will also make changes to its conference tournament format to accommodate WSU and OSU, but financial payouts for NCAA Tournament units have not been disclosed, per the CBS Sports report.

The move especially enhances the WCC’s basketball product, especially in the wake of losing BYU. While WSU hasn’t qualified for the NCAA Tournament since 2008, the Cougars own a 75-62 record under coach Kyle Smith and are ranked No. 65 in KenPom – higher than every WCC team with the exception of Gonzaga (No. 19) and Saint Mary’s (No. 50).

OSU has a 127-158 record under longtime coach Wayne Tinkle, but the Ferris High graduate has led OSU to multiple NCAA Tournament appearances and guided the 2020-21 team to the Elite Eight.

Gonzaga has explored conference options outside of the WCC, but barring a move within the next few months, the Bulldogs will renew their in-state rivalry with WSU, potentially playing up to four games at McCarthey Athletic Center and Beasley Coliseum over the next two seasons.

Separated by 80 miles, the schools played 21 games between 1995 and 2015, but Gonzaga and WSU couldn’t negotiate a new series after their 150th meeting in December 2015, despite former Cougars coach Ernie Kent expressing interest in playing the Zags on an annual basis.

WSU has a 57-32 record in the series, but Gonzaga had won 14 of the past 17 games when the rivalry was temporarily discontinued in 2015.

The women’s basketball teams at Gonzaga and WSU have played 148 times, most recently on Nov. 9 in Pullman. The reigning Pac-12 champion Cougars edged the Zags 77-72 in overtime.

Gonzaga continues to discuss the possibility of joining the Big 12 Conference with commissioner Brett Yormark. The two sides reportedly have been in discussions for at least 14 months. No formal invitation has been extended, but there remains interest on both sides.