Title: Oregon State and Washington State File Complaint Against Pac-12, Seeking to Rebuild Conference
In a recent development, Oregon State and Washington State have taken legal action by filing a complaint against the Pac-12 and its Commissioner, George Kliavkoff. The two schools aim to prevent departing members from interfering with their efforts to rebuild the conference and safeguard the Pac-12 brand.
The complaint, filed in a Washington state court, specifically requests a temporary restraining order that would prevent the departing schools from taking any action regarding the status or governance of the conference. As of now, the Pac-12 has not commented on the complaint.
Currently, the Pac-12 consists of 12 members. However, 10 of them have announced their intention to leave the conference next year in favor of joining other conferences, citing financial stability as the primary reason. Oregon State and Washington State argue that by publicly revealing their exit plans, the departing members have forfeited their right to vote on conference matters.
Consequently, the two schools are determined to protect the Pac-12 brand and rebuild the conference. They believe that the departing members are incentivized to dissolve the conference in order to divide the remaining assets among themselves.
While Oregon State and Washington State contemplate potential partnerships with schools in the Mountain West conference, the details of such agreements are still unclear. Interestingly, the Mountain West conference has expressed openness to exploring options that would make the conference stronger, potentially indicating a mutual opportunity for collaboration.
In terms of financial standing, the Pac-12 ended fiscal year 2022 with $42.7 million in total net assets. Additionally, the conference is estimated to have around $70 million in payments owed to it from NCAA men’s basketball tournament units. However, it is worth noting that the Pac-12 Network reported revenue of $117 million and operating expenses of $77 million in the previous year.
Complicating matters further, the Pac-12 owes Comcast $50 million due to an overpayment to the Pac-12 Network. Nevertheless, this debt is expected to be absorbed by the full membership of the conference.
As the legal battle unfolds, it remains to be seen how the situation will impact the future of the Pac-12. Oregon State and Washington State’s complaint signifies their determination to protect the conference’s integrity, while the departing members continue on their path to seek financial stability outside of the Pac-12.
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