The Mountain West Conference has officially announced a football scheduling agreement with the Oregon State Beavers and Washington State Cougars.
As the only two remaining members of the Pac-12 Conference, Oregon State and Washington State have aligned with the Mountain West in order to fill out their football schedules for at least the 2024 season.
Under the agreement, all 12 Mountain West teams will play seven conference football games in addition to one game against either Oregon State or Washington State in 2024. For Mountain West teams, that will give each team a total of eight contests (four home and four away), plus their four non-conference matchups.
The contests against Oregon State and Washington State will not count as conference games for the Mountain West teams, and neither Pac-12 school is eligible to play in the Mountain West Championship Game.
“This is a unique and unprecedented opportunity for Oregon State and Washington State to play against highly competitive Mountain West football programs in 2024,” said MW Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. “The scheduling agreement will expand the Mountain West footprint and enhance our national brand, while providing our student-athletes with new opportunities, all in line with our strategic priorities. The scheduling agreement strengthens the league’s non-conference schedules, and we look forward to having Oregon State and Washington State be a part of the 2024 slate.”
Per the Mountain West release on Friday, the league is “…working on the football schedule and will release matchups soon.”
Per a report from Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports in November, Mountain West schools with previously scheduled non-conference games against Oregon State and/or Washington State will play the other as well during the same season.
For instance, San Diego State has games scheduled against Washington State, at home in 2024 and on the road in 2025. In the model, the Aztecs’ would likely play Oregon State both years as well.
Three more schools would play two games against the Pac-12 duo in a single season because they have previously scheduled games, including Boise State (Oregon State, 2024), Fresno State (Oregon State, 2025) and San Jose State (Washington State, 2024).
In a separate announcement, Oregon State revealed that its 2024 football schedule will feature five Power Five, six Group of Five, and one FCS opponent. Barring any changes, the Beavers are scheduled to host Idaho State on Aug. 31, visit Boise State on Sept. 7, and host Purdue on Sept. 21.
“We have a great opportunity in front of us and a path forward for continued success,” said Scott Barnes, Oregon State’s Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. “We are still focused on re-building the Pac-12, and continue to prioritize the student-athlete experience at Oregon State.”
Washington State has previously announced four matchups for 2024. The Cougars are currently slated to host Portland State on Aug. 31, visit San Diego State on Sept. 7, face Washington on Sept. 14 at Lumen Field in Seattle, and host San Jose State on Sept. 21.
“Today’s announcement provides clarity for the 2024 football season,” WSU President Kirk Schulz said. “We plan to announced a complete 2024 football schedule in the near future.”
Does this mean that Wazzou and Oregon State will join the Mountain West in all other sports as well?
No
Who will they play against in other sports then? I don’t think they can just be independent for 2 years (although I guess if Chicago State can with no tv money, then I guess these two can too)
As a Boise State Broncos Fan look forward to playing host to Oregon State beavers September 7th & would be 114% open for Boise State to play Washington State Cougars too.
Will the MW games against Oregon St & Washington St be home games or away games?
Three home + three away, but I don’t think that includes previously scheduled games.
My understanding is that if team already has one scheduled with Oregon St or Washington St, they will play the other school they don’t have a contract with.
So like I think Boise St has a contract to play Oregon St next season, they would pay Washington St.
I’m thinking the way stating if like Boise St is at home against Oregon St then Washington St would be on the road.
Dan Rakow, Ryan, M, Jeff, Daniel,
The MW = the stable Conference.
Even when Utah, BYU, TCU left, BSU joined, it stayed stable & Proftable.
If Name change occurs it should be,
The Mountain Pacific.
WSU Cougars, OR State Beavers are not calling the realignment Shots.
OSU-WSU didn’t put the PAC together, they had a 10% say in keeping it together when USC-UCLA, WA-OR, UT-UA-ASU-CO, Calford went elswhere.
USC-UCLA, OR-WA, UT-ASU-UA-CO are doing that.
Right now @Evan, this part of the agreement is for football only and MWC will also get $14 million as part of the deal.
There are unconfirmed reporting that the two sides are working on a longer-term agreement where MWC would or could dissolve and be in cooperated into the Pac at a later date as part of another part of an agreement.
After 2025, can Oregon State and Washington State invite some but not all of the MWC teams to join the Pac-X?
That’s the elephant in the room. Some of the MWC teams want that to happen, and others want the MWC to prevent it from happening.
According to some reports, this is the first step of a deal and they are currently working on others which does include MWC merging into the Pac in 2025 or 2026, now whether that is true or not only time will really tell. But will be an all or nothing thing on that point from what been reading where would be all the schools from MWC or none.
Forget Pac X or Pac 2 Mountain West will be excellent for both Oregon State & Washington State & this Boise State Broncos Fan 114% support to play both Beavers & Cougars.
I have my doubts about Oregon State playing five Power Five, six Group of Five, and one FCS opponent in 2024. They are already committed to seven Group of Five games (six per this agreement plus Boise State), so they would have to cancel Boise State and schedule four Power Five games.
I suspect they add games against Washington State (arguable as to whether they are a Power Five opponent at this point), Oregon and someone currently scheduled to play Army, and end up with one FCS, seven Group of Five, three Power Five, and Washington State.
Arizona and Kansas State are playing a home and home the next two seasons. They were keeping it even though they are both in the Big 12 now but they could cancel and play Oregon State and Wazzu as a home and home instead.
Kevin – a couple of questions to clarify a couple things (to whatever extent you can. Obviously you only know as much as has been announced, even with how well you are able to hunt down scheduling updates!)
1) is it your understanding that the MWC announcement and the Oregon State announcement appear to be “off” from each other by 1 opponent? The MWC says that 6 teams will automatically be playing Oregon State, plus Boise State would be a 7th group of 5 opponent. Which is 1 more than Oregon State said (regardless of whether Boise State sometimes plays like a Power 5 team). It would be understandable if they are still clarifying specifics, but am I following that so far?
2) are there currently enough power 5 teams with open spots on their 2024 schedules to get them (and WSU) to 5 power 5 opponents if they want to do that? I realize 1 of those is each other. And both schools have already announced 1 more each (Purdue and Washington, respectively) but finding 3 more a piece seems like it be a lot at this late a date…? Though I could be wrong given all the shifts due to realignment…? Who all actually has open slots on their 2024 schedule now?
Oregon State already has Boise State scheduled, so they will get an additional 6 MWC teams plus Idaho State + Purdue + at least one game against WSU = 10. So they need two more, maybe only one if they play WSU home-and-home in the same year.
Washington State already has San Diego State and San Jose State scheduled, plus Portland State and Washington. Add the six MWC + OSU and that is 11. So WSU only needs one opponent or none if they play OSU twice.
As for openings, check here:
https://fbschedules.com/fbs-college-football-teams-with-non-conference-openings-in-2024/
Could OSU be going to Hawaii and play a 13th game?
Very confusing. As soon as there is clarity let us know. Why doesn’t wsu, osu games count and why not championship?
Sorry but the mountain west conference is a bottom dweller conference. Inferior! Ms what’s her name is an idiot. This conference is not competitive.
Better be careful there could a powerhouse team from Mountain West.
114% agreeable HTK Mountain Pacific would be fantastic name for Conference.