Given the rise of the MWC over the past few years, I fully expect Wazzu and OSU to join that conference after the 2-year dalliance with the WCC expires.
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The thing I always come back with Stanford basketball is, despite the success from say 1990 to 2010, they in fact missed every NCAA tournament between 1942 and 1989… It is a tough place to win basketball games for anyone not named Mike Montgomery or Trent Johnson…
It isn’t immediately obvious to me why, given the success they have had essentially across the board. But recent football struggles aside, it’s arguably the least successful program they have. It will be interesting to see how it works out. The transfer portal era has not been kind to Stanford, even though one presumes the NIL dollars are there. They have, of course, difficult academics to work in terms of accommodating transferring players (who, these days, could easily been on their third or fourth university).
It will be interesting to see how it works out. Good bay area hoops is in every program’s best interest, and I think Smith can do well there.
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Agree Buckets. While it will be interesting to have WSU and OSU in the WCC for a few seasons, the Mountain West always seemed like a more logical fit.
Before agreeing to play in the WCC temporarily, they had an agreement in place for football, not to join the conference but to play a certain # games (I believe 5 each, MWC schools vs. WSU and OSU). I’m surprised that wasn’t a precursor to a short term agreement re: other sports.
I know MWC and WSU/OSU (PAC-2) have been in discussions…would love to be a fly on the wall to hear/know what’s going there. To me, it seems a no brainer for the MWC to merge/fold in to the PAC-whatever. The PAC brand is presumably more valuable than Mountain West, could be an instant boost for the MWC school. I don’t see any immediately better options for WSU/OSU.
And a PAC / WCC merger w/ WSU/OSU football continuing their MWC ‘relationship’ seems less desirable for them than a full PAC / MWC merger.
One caveat/thought…I wonder if WSU / OSU is slow playing a potential MWC merger hoping that a better option materializes in the next 12-18 months…ie- either an invite to another Power conference or hoping there is another conference implosion such as the ACC which in turn could lead Stanford and Cal back to the PAC and maybe create momentum to poach a few other schools and reconstitute a new PAC that is better/stronger than a simple PAC/MWC merger.
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Pullman has tough weather unlike Silicon Valley Stanford
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I’m sure they are slow-playing, in part to see how it goes with Stanford/Cal in the ACC and USC/UCLA in the Big Ten. If those teams struggle and it is attributed to the regular long-distance travel and body-clock issues (like the Raiders’ historically poor performance in early games on the East Coast), then Wazzu and OSU might decide to lean toward the MWC. And yes, I do think the MWC would rebrand to PAC, it is a brand with deep history. By the way, I wonder if the 2-year hiatus also ensures that the departing teams get zero rights the PAC brand?
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Funnily enough, this just popped up in my feed:
Yep, agreed to in principle months ago.
Note, other 10 members still have some voting rights until they leave in the summer though giving up $ claims.
We don’t know all the details of the agreement but re: ‘slow playing’ by WSU / OSU…it may be safest for WSU and OSU to wait until the other 10 have departed before they make other moves.
Once the super-conference football teams see how much power and financial potential they have they’ll tell the NCAA to pound sand. Basketball will follow soon thereafter, and that’s not likely a good thing for most WCC teams.
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Washington St. baseball (and swimming) to the Mountain West as an affiliate member. Oregon State is going to go independent in baseball for the time being.
WSU baseball and women’s swimming joining Mountain West as affiliate members | The Spokesman-Review