
Where Beavers Gather
By Kip Carlson
By Kip Carlson
The future of Oregon State’s athletic conference has started to come into focus. What’s certain: The Beavers’ home will continue to be the Pac-12.
Between mid-September and early October, the conference announced that six universities will join OSU and WSU starting in the summer of 2026: Boise State University, Colorado State University, Fresno State University, San Diego State University, Utah State University and Gonzaga University.
After the announcement of the first four, OSU President Jayathi Murthy wrote, “These are universities that share our values, prioritizing the holistic health and well-being of student athletes and providing opportunities for them to compete at the highest levels. While plans for 2026 and beyond are still taking shape, there is so much to look forward to.”
What’s uncertain: Who’s next, and when?
Though the addition of Gonzaga University brings the Pac-12 one of the nation’s most successful and best-known men’s basketball programs of the past 25 years, Gonzaga does not have a football program. That means the rebuilt conference is one short of the eight football-playing members it needs — by, at latest, the summer of 2026 — to be eligible for a berth in the College Football Playoff.
More additions and alignments are certain to come.
Likewise, though most women’s team sports — from soccer to softball — meet the NCAA’s minimum of six teams to earn an automatic berth in postseason competition, at press time the rebuilt conference had only five of the six baseball-playing members necessary and men’s soccer had only three. The path to postseason for other sports will be determined in the months ahead. In other words, more additions and alignments are certain to come.
Plus, one twist: legal issues.
When the Pac-12 signed a football scheduling agreement with the Mountain West Conference for this year, the agreement included “poaching penalties” should any of the MWC schools leave for the Pac-12. But on Sept. 25, the Pac-12 sued the MWC, asserting that this violated antitrust law. So while there’s been some movement toward a complete Pac-12 picture, there’s still more off-the-field action to come.
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