The latest bend to conference realignment has popped in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon State and Washington State are in line to join the West Coast Conference as affiliate members and play league games — with the exception of football and baseball — against WCC schools for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, sources told CBS Sports.
Barring any major drastic action that is not anticipated, league presidents and athletic directors are scheduled to vote and approve the measure on Thursday morning, a source said.
For men’s and women’s basketball, this means the nine-school WCC would enlarge to 11 teams for the next two seasons — increasing the conference’s appeal and scheduling power in the process.
In football, Oregon State and Washington State already have a separate agreement in place for 2024 with the Mountain West. (The WCC does not sponsor football.)
Industry speculation over the past two months centered around the idea that OSU and WSU would follow football’s lead and eventually link with the Mountain West in all sports. But logistical and ongoing legal concerns have combined to make a move in basketball and non-revenue sports difficult at this time, sources said.
In becoming de…
