WSU board gives Schulz power to negotiate with newest Pac-12 members

The Washington State University Board of Regents agreed Friday to allow WSU President Kirk Schulz to enter negotiations with the four newest Pac-12 schools.

Earlier this week, the conference accepted the applications of Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State and San Diego State – all Mountain West Conference schools. The universities will join WSU and Oregon State in the Pac-12 starting in 2026.

WSU spokesman Phil Weiler called the board’s unanimous move Friday a routine first step in the process of negotiating with the four schools.

Schulz or “a designee” can approve contracts and other agreements “related to the university’s athletic media rights and conference affiliation” under the board’s motion.

The late-Friday afternoon special board meeting – on the eve of the Apple Cup in Seattle – was short, with no discussion about the motion and no public comment.

Schulz and Board Chair Lisa Keohokalole Schauer expressed their excitement about the Pac-12 conference rebuild.

“We are thrilled this week to have invited Fresno State, San Diego State, Colorado State and Boise State as the newest members of the Pac-12 conference,” Schulz said at the virtual board meeting. “I think there’s been lots of energy and positive excitement around this, and it’s been the culmination of several months’ worth of work that really accelerated certainly over the last several days.”

Schauer called it “an opportunity for a new beginning” and looked forward to the “historic” rebuild.

“While this is not a perfect solution, it is a great start to putting together a conference that continues to center our beliefs and keeping our students playing at the highest competitive league that they can and keeping our student-athletes as close to home as possible,” she said.

Schulz said he will provide more details in the future but couldn’t at Friday’s meeting because of “sensitive” information surrounding financial arrangements with the Mountain West Conference, the newest Pac-12 schools and WSU.

The board is scheduled to meet again Thursday and Friday. Conference rebuild discussions are not on next week’s agenda.